Ribbon of Royalty
by HanaIchi Ikari
Summary: Shinou is ruled by Prince Reiji in Tobari City, along with his little brother and prince-in-training, Prince Shinji. Hikari is a commoner girl who dresses as a boy. The ribbon of fate starts its first knot when they meet. IkariShipping.
1. First Knot

_A/N: Yes, I know. This story sounds pretty cliché, but I've added a few changes that just might change the cliché things. Just a bit. ^^" The setting is not as you expect it to be. It's like those modern royalty places – basically… it's like manors (mansions). (Edit: I reconstructed some things. Mostly the third chapter. xD)_

_Characters that are Introduced: Shinou/Sinnoh, Futaba Town/Twinleaf Town (Places), Reiji/Reggie, Shinji/Paul, Sumomo/Maylene, Naoshi/Nando, Hikari/Dawn, Ani/Older Brother (A.K.A Reiji/Reggie) _

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****1****:**** First Knot**

**Prologue**

Shinou is a peaceful land ruled by Prince Reiji.

Prince Reiji is quite young to rule a large land – for he is only 24 – but he is _incredibly_ clever and cunning. His rules were very fair and that also counted for his compromises with many other kings and people. His palace was located in Tobari City.

Despite the large work of taking care of Shinou, he also takes care of his younger brother named Shinji. His younger brother is only 13 years old and many depict him as a miniature prince. The difference between Shinji and Reiji is that Shinji is more silent and isolated than Reiji. Many wondered if it was because he was merely a prince-in-training or if he was just indifferent to his people to build up his image.

There was also another difference between Reiji and Shinji. But this difference was only known by the two princes. Shinji tended to leave the castle grounds frequently to visit the village. Reiji visits the village too, but that'd only mean that there is an important announcement. It was either that or he went with Shinji to shop for some food.

Of course, if Shinji visited in his royal garb, then there would be a large commotion. He changed into a casual outfit he received from his grandparents for his birthday. He also had a hat to hide most of his purple hair. It resembled a commoner's clothes very much, and he was grateful for it. He wasn't the type that wanted to be the center of attention. He was the opposite of that.

So he roamed the busy streets, alleys, and even the markets… And no one was able to figure out that he was the younger brother of Prince Reiji.

~.~.~

It was a nice autumn day in September, excluding the strong heat wave that suddenly hit Tobari City.

"Ani, I'm going to the village again," Shinji called out. He was wearing his casual clothes as usual.

"Okay, Shinji. Be careful, okay?"

"Whatever." He quietly closed the door and rushed to a tall vine-covered gate. He climbed over it and landed safely on his feet. "I wonder what the street performers will perform today…" His secret interest in the village was the street performers in the village square. Of course, they weekly performed for half an hour at three in the afternoon.

He looked at the large clock tower. It was two hours before the scheduled performance.

"Eh, what have I got to lose?" Shinji headed for the street markets, hiding his purple hair underneath his hat. He scanned the products for today. There were more varieties of foods, jewels, and many more than before! That was because there was going to be a festival soon, and everyone was planning to go and have fun all day and night.

He walked around, but didn't have much interest in buying them today. _Eh, I'll just go visit the houses,_ he thought. Of course, he didn't mean 'visiting' by knocking on a random villager's door. He took a liking to walking near the quiet streets. It was quite peaceful. Shinji exited from the bustling village square and headed towards the houses.

"Hey," a voice called out.

Shinji craned his neck to see a boy about his age. He was wearing a beanie cap, slightly baggy shirt, shorts, and sandals. The boy also had short, dark blue hair and large, shining blue eyes. "What do you want?"

"Sorry, but I'm kinda new here, and I still can't …"

"Are you a traveler?"

"Uh, s-sort of. You see, I traveled around Shinou to visit Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji. That too, and I need a place to settle in."

"Okay…?" Shinji trailed off. "So, what do you need help with?"

"I just want to know where the village square is for now," the boy replied. "I hear that there will be street performers there!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Their performance doesn't start until two hours later… You might as well keep walking in circles around here until then." He gave a short chuckle and smirked.

The boy's brow twitched. "Well, thanks for the info and the _unnecessary_ remark." He crossed his arms and murmured something inaudible.

This boy amused and interested Shinji. "What's your name? Where did you come from?"

"Oh, now we're having a Q&A session?" the boy asked. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "My* name is Hikaru* from Futaba Town. What's yours?"

"Shiro." Shiro was Shinji's alias. His original name meant 'faithful second son', while Shiro meant 'white (color)'. It was a bit embarrassing, but there was nothing else he could think of.

"Well, nice to meet you, Shiro." Hikaru extended a hand out to Shinji. "I hope we can be friends."

"Whatever." Shinji didn't shake his hand, looking at the clouds instead.

"Hey, that's rude!" Hikaru exclaimed.

Shinji smirked. "Hn." He ignored the boy and continued to walk through the streets. Suddenly, he felt as if someone was following him. "Why are you following me?"

"Err… You don't mind if I tag along with ya, right?"

Shinji sighed, shrugging. "Do whatever you want…"

Hikaru grinned, catching up to Shinji's pace. "Sweet. Thanks, dude." Shinji ignored him again. "So where's your house?"

"…" Shinji was silent.

"Ugh…" Hikaru sighed.

"How long are you going to stay here?"

"Hmmm…" Hikaru stared at the sky thoughtfully. "This is probably my last city to journey around, so I'll have to choose the city I want to settle in."

"How many days are you going to stay here?"

Hikaru shrugged. "I might want to settle down here, actually. It's a very lively place." He walked next to Shinji, whispering, "Hey, do you possibly know anyone from the palace here?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"No reason, really. I just want to visit Prince Reiji and give him my respects." Hikaru stuck out his tongue playfully. "I also hear Prince Reiji has a younger brother about my age." He tapped his finger on his chin.

"You also mentioned something about settling down here?"

"Yep! I might decide that I'll settle here!" Hikaru grinned.

"If you're going to settle here, don't you have to find an available home first? Besides, do you have enough Poké*?"

"Yeah, that's the thing…" he murmured. "My mother said that she'll give me the money once I decide on the place to stay, but… I can't find any available homes here." Hikaru laughed. "It's probably because this city is where the palace is! Obviously, there would be a _lot_ of people who would want to live here!"

"It's true," Shinji mumbled. "Unfortunately, the majority of Tobari City's population is females that are fans of Reiji and Shinji. It annoys the younger brother completely.

"Hey, watch how you call their names, Shiro," Hikaru warned. "They're Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji."

"Whatever." Shinji slightly lowered his hat. _It's not like I care if I'm called 'Prince Shinji,'_ he thought.

Hikaru's brow twitched. He wanted to hit Shinji _very_ badly. "Just remember that, got it?"

Shinji waved his hand dismissively. "Sure, sure."

The two came across a large and empty field of grass. Hikaru peered over Shinji's shoulder, wondering why they stopped there.

Shinji smirked. He had a feeling Hikaru was itching to know why they were here. He looked behind his shoulder and found the boy peering over his shoulder. There was something strange about him, and Shinji was the type to find out what. What was stranger for him was that he felt slightly fond of Hikaru. Now, Prince Shinji was not one to become fond of _anyone_. He wasn't really fond of his brother, but Shinji did care about him.

_What the hell am I thinking?_ he thought. Shinji shook his head frantically. _There is __**definitely**__ something strange about this guy._

Meanwhile, Hikaru was having thoughts that were almost similar to Shinji's. _Shiro is acting like he knows Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji very well,_ he thought. _Maybe he's actually working in the palace! No, no, that's impossible!_ He raised a brow. _But then again, he knows some extra information about Prince Shinji. Now that is just plain weird…_ _I am going to the bottom of this and nothing is gonna stop me!_ With that, a devious plan began to form in his mind. _This is gonna be sweet…_

"Hey."

Hikaru turned to Shinji. "What?"

"Do you have a little sister or something?"

The boy furrowed his brows together in confusion. "Nope. I'm an only child." He grinned, tipping his cap back. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you act a bit immature for a 10-year-old."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "And you act like you know Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji very well." That did it. He saw naked panic flare in Shinji's eyes, but was suppressed shortly. Hikaru's eyes darted from side to side, before he hissed in Shinji's ear, "Aha! I got it! You work in the palace, don't you?"

At first, Shinji's heart was jumping as if it was placed in fire. Now, it was sheer relief and disappointment. Shinji thought Hikaru would think of something better than a worker in the palace.

"No." This time, it was Shinji's turn to find out some facts. "So if you're an only child, does your mother spoil you like you're a girl?"

"Hey, my mom wanted a daughter! Don't blame it on her!" Hikaru smacked Shinji across the head. "You know, I used to wonder if there were such people like you, and I _just_ got my answer. You are just plain rude and idiotic."

Shinji shrugged. "Well, you are just plain immature and thick-headed…" He paused. "… What was your name again?"

A vein popped in Hikaru's forehead. "My name is Hi-Ka-Ru!" He gritted his teeth, trying to prevent cursing out loud. "You _really are_ an idiot!"

Suddenly, a beeping noise was heard. Shinji looked at his beeping watch. "Well, what do you know…? We just killed about an hour here." He turned the noise off and went back. Of course, Hikaru followed him, fuming. "Are you going to follow me all day?"

"Hey, you're my guide. I barely even know anything about this place… except maybe the street performers." Hikaru let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I just like entertainment." There was a moment of silence. He took this advantage to peer into Shinji's hat: Purple hair. "Whoa, dude, are you like… a fan of Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji?"

The question made Shinji's eye twitch automatically. "_No,_" he replied ominously.

Hikaru took this tone as a warning of not to ask any further. His lips pursed together, not even daring to let one squeak escape his mouth.

"I was born like this, and drop this subject."

"Sheesh, I'm just asking." Hikaru crossed his arms and starting mumbling inaudible words under his breath. "Anyways, what are you going to do for one whole hour?"

"Who knows?" Shinji murmured. _I might as well wander around aimlessly,_ he thought.

"Hey, do you think you can give me a little tour around the palace?"

"You're insane," Shinji replied. "I can't just barge in the palace just to give one person a tour." He was fortunate. He has learned to use words that commoners like Hikaru would use. If he blurted out 'commoner', he gave _everything_ away about his identity.

"Oh come on, it wouldn't hurt for like… five minutes or something, right?"

"You're going to keep insisting until I give in, aren't you?"

Hikaru's brow raised in surprise. "I had a different plan in mind, but your idea is better." He grinned deviously. Shinji groaned, smacking himself mentally. "So how about it? I'm gonna keep asking until you say yes."

"If you're going to keep insisting until I give in, it's useless." Of course, Shinji's attempt to discourage Hikaru was fruitless. He nearly spent half an hour listening to Hikaru's plea. He was trying very hard not to explode on the insisting boy. "Ugh, fine! I'll show you around later!" Before he could even stop himself, he blurted it loudly directly at Hikaru.

Hikaru blinked for a moment, but his blue eyes began to beam and widen in joy.

Shinji shook his head frantically. "No, I did _not_ mean that!"

The boy smirked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It looks like my persistence broke you." He flashed an evil smile that actually could've equaled Shinji's. "And the decision is made."

"I am going to make you regret doing that to me."

"Sure, sure," Hikaru waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever you say, Shiro."

As Hikaru was doing a victory dance, you could see a grimacing Shinji growling and murmuring to himself.

~.~.~

It was finally three o' clock and a crowd was already forming around the center of the village square. Shinji and Hikaru managed to get there first so they were at the front.

Suddenly, a burst of smoke ensued, silencing – and maybe scaring – the crowd. Then, a massive shadow figures emerged. Blasts of fire, the blare of trumpets, and random objects appeared from the smoke. The audience stared in awe.

"Welcome, everyone…" a bright voice started. "… To Tobari Acrobatics and Magic!" A colorful spark appeared, clearing the gray smoke. There were about ten people forming a pyramid by standing on each other's hands. All the performers hopped with miraculous agility and grace. A woman with short, pink hair flipped and landed on the ground like a feather. "I am your hostess, Sumomo! I welcome you to another one of our weekly performance!" Her smile widened and she winked. "Let's get this started, shall we?"

As if on cue, soothing music filled the village square. A young man carrying a golden harp stepped to the front. He wore a green hat and a green cape. He was rather dressed as a gentleman. The music caused the audience to stop whatever they were doing and listened. It was as if even nature had stopped its breezes to listen. He soon stopped, and the audience burst into excited applauses. He bowed and disappeared behind the others.

"That was Naoshi, our new member of Tobari Acrobats and Magic!" Sumomo announced. "His talent for music is beyond anything we've ever seen! Now, onward to the next act!" She slightly moved aside to show four people. They were walking on large balls with their hands! Their balance did not falter, they did not sway, and they most definitely did _not_ fall. They flipped to their feet on the ball and starting spinning them in place. Then, they jumped in the air altogether and landed on a ball opposite to them with ease.

The audience went wild!

"Awesome!" Sumomo exclaimed. "Thanks, guys! You did a great job!" She took a deep breath, putting on a confident face. "Alright, for this one, we'll be using the rest of the five people – including me – for this finale." She seemed to think for a moment. "Ah, of course! I'm going to need a few volunteers!" On cue, the majority of the audience raised their hands. Of course, the majority were children and teenagers.

Hikaru raised his hand eagerly. Shinji smacked his forehead, shaking his head disapprovingly. But he earned a hard stomp on his foot, from Hikaru, causing him to cringe in pain.

"Let's see…" Sumomo went around, scanning the children and teenagers that wanted to volunteer. "I'll choose you, you and…" She wheeled around, pointing to Hikaru. "… you!"

"Hell yes!" Hikaru came forward excitedly. He gave the other two participants a high-five. "So what do we have to do?"

"Climb into this 100-pound concrete pipe, and watch us do the rest!" Sumomo chirped. With that, the three went in the pipe and sat down. "Alright, we're ready to go!" A massive and muscular man lifted the pipe into the air. He lied down on the ground and placed the pipe on his feet. He held it still perfectly! "At the count of three, okay?" The other three performers nodded. "One… Two… Three!" Sumomo and the others leaped high into the air. One landed on their hands, while the two stood on his feet holding out their hands, and Sumomo landed on their hands with perfect balance and ease. "Tada!" The three participants shouted in enthusiasm.

The audience exploded into loud applauses and cheers.

"Well, that's all for today, folks!" Sumomo announced as she bowed. "It's quite early to say this, but… We'll be seeing you at the Hanami festival! Our performance that day will be greater than ever!" The crowd dispersed, leaving money in Naoshi's hat. Of course, Shinji stayed because Hikaru would hunt him down if he ditched him. Sumomo and others hopped off the pipe and helped the muscled man bring the three participants down. "Phew, that was great you three! You showed awesome spirit!"

"Thanks, Sumomo-San!"

"Yeah, thank you!"

With that the two children ran off to their parents, while Hikaru also thanked Sumomo for the wonderful performance. "You know, this was my first time seeing and participating in a performance like this!"

Sumomo looked slightly shocked. "No way! This was your first time seeing street performers?"

"Yeah. I've heard about them, but I've never seen them before," Hikaru nervously laughed. "I know it's pretty pathetic of me."

"Actually, it's a great honor!"

"Wait, wha-?"

"It's not pathetic! It's a great honor that Tobari Acrobats and Magic is your first!" Sumomo exclaimed. "You see, we don't travel often, and not a lot of people come here to see us. But if this was your first, it's a great honor! Say, if this was your first, you must be from another city!"

"Oh yeah! My name is Hikaru from Futaba Town!"

"Futaba Town? Oh, you mean that cute village where the aroma of Sakura leaves floats around?" Hikaru nodded. "No way! I've wanted to visit there for a performance for years!"

"You actually wanted to perform there, Sumomo?" Shinji's voice made Hikaru jump.

"Ah! Shin-!" She then noticed Shinji giving her a death stare. "Hi, Shinju-Chan!"

"Shut up," Shinji snarled. "I thought I told you not to call me that."

Sumomo whined. "Come on, Shinju*-Chan! It's such a cute nickname for you!" When Shinji looked like he was about to pounce on her any minute, she pouted. "So is Hikaru-Kun your new friend?"

"Not exactly," Hikaru and Shinji replied. They looked at each other annoyingly and turned to Sumomo again.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but we really need to get back to Tobari Palace."

"Oh! You live there?" Hikaru asked, surprised.

Sumomo nodded. "Prince Reiji gave us a place to stay and rehearse our performances." She glanced at Shinji. "Unfortunately, Prince _Shinji_ peeks in during our rehearsals, which can completely ruin the atmosphere in there! Rehearsals are not _meant_ to be seen until the actual thing!"

Hikaru was gaping. "Prince Shinji does that? That is… very awkward of him."

Sumomo laughed. "Oh my gosh, I know, right?"

Shinji, knowing where this conversation was leading to, cleared his throat. "Aren't you supposed to be going to Tobari Palace?"

"Oops! You're right! Sorry, I have to go, but we'll meet again someday, okay?" she winked at Hikaru and Shinji. "Bye, Hikaru-Kun and Shinju-Chan!" The last name caused Shinji to go on the verge of deliberately chasing her into the palace.

Hikaru's snort distracted him.

"What?"

"Just answer my first question: How do you know her?"

"I always visit her performances."

"Second…" Hikaru snickered. "Dude, what is _up_ with that nickname? 'Shinju-Chan'?" He burst into high-pitched laughter, which made a vein pop in Shinji's forehead. "Oh! Oh! Oh my stomach! They hurt!" He kept laughing while clutching his stomach. Shinji gave him a punch on the head but Hikaru didn't care. It was the nickname Hikaru cared more about. "The next time I meet you, I am _so_ gonna start calling you Shinju-Chan."

"If you don't shut up, I won't let you in the palace." That got Hikaru silent almost immediately. It satisfied Shinji. _Looks like this guy can be tricked easily._ But something was bothering him. There were barely any ten-year-old boys who'd participate in these performances. He thought for a moment, and suddenly, his eyes widened. _There is no way…_

"Hey!" Shinji didn't respond. "I said… Hey!" Hikaru smacked the back of Shinji's head to snap his thoughts. "Did you hear what I just said?"

"What was that for, Hi… Hisashi, was it?" That earned Shinji a stomp on his foot. "WHAT?"

"My name is Hikaru! Hi-Ka-Ru, dammit! Get it right for once!" Hikaru growled. When Shinji walked away, Hikaru fumed. "…" He deeply exhaled, shaking his head. He followed Shinji. "Where are you going now?"

"To Tobari Palace. Where else?"

"No way, seriously?" Hikaru's anger disappeared immediately like magic. "Yes! I can finally meet Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji!"

"Why are you so excited to meet them?"

"Because they did a big deal for Futaba Town!" Hikaru smiled. "Prince Reiji wanted to help Futaba Town! I'm just really grateful for what he did!"

"What did they do?"

"Well, last summer, nearly all of our Sakura trees were dying from the drought and Tobari City delivered _gallons_ of water to help revive them." Hikaru smiled and his eyes were dazed. "I'll never forget that kindness." He noticed the surroundings. "Wow, this is really a nice garden. It's well taken care of. Not only that, it's actually upstairs!" He gentled caressed a lily in his hand.

"Alright, take that off."

Hikaru stared at Shinji in baffled confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Take your cap off."

"Why? The sun's scorching! This is the only protection I have!"

Unfortunately, that excuse wasn't going to stop Shinji. But he shrugged, going back to watching Hikaru examine the other flowers. Shinji took this advantage by quietly walking towards an unsuspecting Hikaru. Before the boy noticed, Shinji pulled the cap off his head, and his eyes widened at the sight.

_Long_ and silky dark blue hair flowed out from underneath the cap. Golden triangular clips and longer bangs were revealed.

"You…" Shinji breathed out. "You really are a girl."

"Kyah! No!" The girl foolishly tried to cover the back of her head with her hands. "No, no, no! Why the hell did you pull off my cap?"

"Oh, it's because you looked like you were burning under there," Shinji replied sarcastically. "Alright, so what's your real name?"

"My _real_ name is Hikari! Give me my cap back!" She snatched her cap and fixed her appearance. "Tell me why you did that!"

"I figured out you were a girl." Shinji smirked at Hikari's reaction. "Hey, be proud. You're the first person that made me fall for your disguise."

"Fine, I'm a girl! Are you satisfied?" Hikari hissed.

Shinji's eyes narrowed, a frown replacing his smirk. "Now that I am, give me three reasons why you came here dressed as a boy."

"I know that Tobari Palace barely lets _any_ female villagers enter here because they'd be fawning all over Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji!"

"There's one reason."

"Two, it was the only way I could give Futaba Town and my thanks and regards to them!"

"What's the last one?"

"I've been traveling as a boy this whole time! I only had clothes that were suited for a male. I left all _my_ clothes at home." Hikari groaned, her hands hiding her face. She felt like she was going to be on the verge of tears. "Look, I just want to give them my thanks without any commotion with the guards…" She crouched, her face hidden by her arms. "Is that another good reason for you?"

"…" Shinji stared at the girl. He sighed, not knowing what to do. She did a good job hiding her identity until now, but that didn't mean she could be hiding the fact that she could be a fan of Reiji or himself. "You just want to thank them, right?" Hikari nodded. "Wait there." Shinji pointed to a tree nearby. He walked the opposite direction of that tree, heading for the palace.

Once he entered, he saw Reiji descending the stairs to his left. "Ah, Shinji, did you see the performance?"

"Yeah, it wasn't as bad as I thought this time," Shinji replied, smirking. "Oh, by the way, there's someone who wants to see us, so wait here." He ascended the staircase in the right, where his room was. He went in, changing his casual clothes into something more refined. A white collared shirt and long black pants was all he needed. He took off his hat, fully revealing his purple hair. He stuffed it in his pocket and went back downstairs.

"Shinji, is that boy over there the one you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah, but Ani… That boy is actually a girl."

Reiji looked slightly surprised. "Really? Wow, he looks like a boy from far away," he murmured. "Huh, her disguising is almost as impressive as yours, Shinji."

"Oh geez… Wait here; I'll go get her." With that, he exited the cool room into the heating garden. Shinji saw Hikari watching a butterfly land on a flower. He took a deep breath. "Hey."

Hikari's head jerked to the voice. "Whoa… Prince Shinji?"

"Yes?"

"Wow, you look so similar to Shiro! Are you two like… twins or something?"

"Shiro?" Shinji chuckled, smirking. He took out his hat and put it on. "You mean me?" He became more amused at Hikari's expression. It was like a mix of shock, confusion, and impress.

"So… You're Shiro?"

Shinji ignored that question for the moment and gestured her to come in. Once they entered, Shinji stood beside Reiji. "She's here, Ani."

"It's nice to meet you, Hikari-Kun." Reiji made a slight bow.

"M-my name is Hikari from Futaba Town!" She bowed to Reiji and Shinji. "It's very nice to meet you too, Prince Reiji!" She stood back up more politely: hands together in the front, straight posture, and feet together. "What I came here was to give you Futaba Town's and my thanks and regards for last summer's water supply. We are very grateful for your kindness!" She bowed again, nervousness racking her joints. "U-uh, I apologize for the very belated thanks, but I had to travel to Tobari City in place of Futaba Town."

Reiji smiled, approaching Hikari. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "No problem, Hikari-Kun. Even if it is late, I am much honored that you traveled here alone with your town's thanks. It must've been a bit heavy on your shoulders."

Hikari perked up, shaking her head. "Actually, I was the one who suggested it. It wasn't that burdensome." She glanced at Shinji. "Um, excuse me, about my previous question… Y-you don't need to answer it!"

Shinji merely jerked his head to the side, his arms crossed. "If I'm Shiro?" Hikari nodded. He put on his hat back on again. "The answer is: Yes, I am Shiro."

"Shinji, you are showing a different character today," Reiji murmured. He whispered to Hikari, "Uh, you see, my little brother likes to go outside the palace grounds to see the markets, performances, and etcetera. He always wears a disguise to prevent anyone from finding out. Outside, he goes by the name of 'Shiro'."

Hikari's eyes widened. "S-so, he is… _Shiro_?" she squeaked. When Shinji nodded, her hands cupped her mouth. _Oh no…_ she thought. _Th-then… That means I… I smacked _the_ Prince Shinji!_ Suddenly, she came to the moment when she stomped hard on Shinji foot. All hell broke loose.

While Hikari was having her paranoid antics, Reiji nudged Shinji. "Is Hikari-Kun okay?"

Shinji shrugged. "She's probably having a fit because she physically hit me many times." His older brother laughed. "What?"

"What did you do to get hit?" Reiji laughed. He sighed and waved his hand in front of Hikari's face. "Hikari-Kun?"

"Oh my goodness, I am very sorry for my actions before!" Hikari exclaimed. "P-please forgive me for smacking and stomping on you." Her mind was in chaos. A mix of confusion, nervousness, fear, and apologetic feelings were burning in her body.

"Uh… What was your name again?"

Hikari froze. A wave of frustration washed away the previous feelings, and she snapped. "I told you before! My* name is HIKARI!" She suppressed the urge scream out loud, which would cause a commotion. "Remember it for once, idiot!" After she realized what she just said, she cupped her mouth again, her eyes wide. "Uh… I didn't mean that."

Reiji broke out in a chuckle. "Now I understand why she did and would hit you, Shinji." He exhaled, trying to calm himself. "Well, I'm surprised to see someone act this way towards Shinji, but it's somewhat relieving." He smiled brightly. "I really like your spirit, Hikari-Kun. It's very refreshing compared to what Shinji has to face every day."

"Huh? What do you-?"

"You said you needed a place to stay, right?" Shinji interrupted.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if there are any available homes here," Hikari replied, fiddling with her fingers. "If I can't find any, I'll just have to go find another city to settle in."

"How about working as a maid here?"

Reiji and Hikari stared at Shinji in astonishment.

"Wait, what?"

"Shinji, what's with the sudden decision? You haven't seen the other maids yet," Reiji said.

"Other maids?" Hikari blinked in confusion.

"You see, Shinji's previous maid had quit due to family issues, so he needs a new one." Reiji tapped Shinji's shoulder. "So you want Hikari-Kun to be your maid?" The younger prince gave a short nod.

"B-but, that's impossible!" Strangely, Hikari felt some frustration inside her. "Besides, if I live here, won't the rent or something be _really_ high?"

"Not exactly, Hikari-Kun," Reiji replied. "The job is big, but being a maid who lives here… The price for a room here isn't as much as you think. Like I said just now, maids usually get the easier prices."

Hikari glanced at Shinji nervously. "W-well…" she stuttered. "I wouldn't mind working here as a maid, because in Futaba Town, my mother works for a maid café. I only worked there to greet and give out drinks." She fiddled with her fingers again. "It's not much, though."

"I think that's perfect, really." Shinji shrugged. "It's not like I do anything big anyways." He lifted his head, staring directly at Hikari.

"Can you tell me the price for staying here as a maid first?" Hikari squeaked. Inside, Shinji was satisfied. She was on the verge of accepting his offer.

"It's only 42,265 Poké*," Shinji answered. "That's it. All you need to do is work as a maid until you want to quit." He crossed his arms, giving Hikari a smug look. "So what do you say? Will you accept or reject my offer?" Reiji watched Shinji with interest.

"Well… I… uh…"

Shinji raised a brow.

"I…!"

~.~.~

_A/N: Yes, it's a cliffhanger. But to prevent any readers from being frustrated, I went ahead and posted the next chapter. xDD Be happy, people! :P Hey, school's almost over. T^T I have to make the setting in autumn, right? I mean, once I get to school, I'd barely have time to work on the chapters!_

_My__ Name is __Hikaru__ – In Japanese translation, this would be: __Ore__ no namae wa __Hikaru__ desu. Ore (oh-reh) means 'I' but it's used by BOYS only. Ore sounds tougher than another 'I' term that boys use, which is boku. Hikaru is the masculine version of Hikari. _

_My__ Name is HIKARI! – In this 'my', she's using boku.___

_Poké – It is this world's currency. 1 Poké is equal to the amount 1 Japanese Yen._

_42,265 Poké – It's not as much as you think, really. In USA currency, it's about five hundred dollars. Yeah, I know. I am too nice on Hikari. xD_


	2. Maid Hikari

_A/N: If you noticed Shinji was slightly OOC before, well, I have to do it. If he's a prince, he has to act somewhat humble or something like that right? Exactly. And like I said before, the time in this fic is like those modern palaces kinds. You know… Manors… But… more castle-like. xD I hope you get what I mean? ^^"_

_Note: Kasumi/Misty, Haruka/May, Takeshi/Brock, Houen/Hoenn _

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****2****:**** Maid Hikari**

"I need to talk to my mother first." Hikari shrugged sheepishly. "I'd love to accept, but I need to hear my mother's decision first. May I use your phone, Prince Reiji?"

"Of course, Hikari-Kun," Reiji replied. "It's this way." He guided Hikari to a door behind the left staircase, which led to another staircase. "Go all the way down and to your right, there should be a phone. If any guard asks you why you're there, tell them this: I like watermelon pops. If you need me, tell any guard this: A bottle of water, please." He caught Hikari raising a brow at him. "It's a code."

"A very awkward code, indeed…" Shinji mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Take all the time you need. I'll be here with Shinji."

"Thank you, Prince Reiji!" Hikari bowed and followed his directions.

While Hikari went downstairs, Reiji turned to Shinji, who was staring at the brightly lit garden. "So, what made you choose her, Shinji?"

The younger prince shrugged. "She's just different than any other girls I've met before." He slightly tilted his head to the side. "I have a feeling that this girl will make things here more fun. Besides, she's going to be my maid anyways."

Reiji sighed. "You're not gonna make her life miserable too, are you?"

Shinji smirked. "Maybe, but not the same way I treated the previous maids."

The older prince took a step back from his little brother. "You really can scare me sometimes…"

Meanwhile, Hikari was talking to her mother on the phone. "So that's the story, mom. What do you think I should do?"

"Wait, so let me get this straight," Hikari's mother. "You made it to Tobari City and gave Prince Reiji Futaba Town's thanks. But Prince Shinji wants you to be a maid there?"

"Yep." Hikari expected her mother to start lecturing her about making the right choices. But nothing happened but silence. "Mom?"

"How did they figure out your identity?"

"Prince Shinji somehow figured me out…" Hikari groaned. "After all my hard work of never being discovered… Anyways, should I be a maid here? They said that I can live here for 42, 265 Poké."

"Well, how long do you plan to work there?"

"I don't really know, actually," Hikari admitted. "I might stay here as long as I could." She gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, mom! I'll be fine!"

"But that's when I get worried the most. Are you sure about this?"

"Mom, I'm sure. I'm asking if you're okay with it." Hikari crossed her arms. "You did tell me to ask you for permission once I found a place to stay, didn't you?"

Her mother hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I did, Hikari. But I didn't expect you to be in the Tobari Palace! I didn't expect Prince Shinji to offer you a maid job there as well!" She sighed, tapping her chin. "Well, if Prince Reiji and Prince Shinji are okay with it, it'll be fine with me."

"So is your answer a 'yes' or 'no'?"

Hikari's mother giggled. "Go ahead, Hikari. Just try not to cause any trouble, okay?"

"I won't! Thanks, mom!"

"I'll transfer the money to you right now, okay?" A shuffling was heard and a small pillar connected to the phone started to emit a small light. When the light subsided, a pouch was seen. Hikari's mother appeared back on the screen again. "Good luck, honey!"

"Bye, mom. I'll miss you!" With that, the screen became black, signaling the end of the call. She stuffed the pouch in her pocket and went back upstairs. She gently opened the door and entered. Reiji and Shinji were still talking, unable to hear Hikari's entrance. _Oh, they're still talking…_

"Are you okay with this, Shinji?"

"Yeah."

"You don't need to see any other people? You're going to go with Hikari-Kun?" Shinji was silent. "What? I'm just verifying. Just give me a nod or something." Silence. "Okay."

Hikari waved her hand to get their attention. "I'm back."

"Did your mother give you permission, Hikari-Kun?"

"Yes. She transferred the money to me, so who do I give this to?" She took out the pocket of money.

"Here, I'll take it. I'll give this to the head maid, so Shinji, can you show her around?" Reiji threw a small key at him.

Shinji rolled his eyes, catching it with ease. "Fine." He guided Hikari to the same door. "The maids and other staff here live on the other side of this staircase. Some prefer to live at home and some prefer to live here." He stopped by the nearest door. "If you need to contact the head maid, this is her room. Her name is Kasumi. You can figure out the rest."

"Uh, sure." Hikari tapped Shinji's shoulder. "Um… Where is my room?"

"Well, since you're my maid, your room will be next to mine."

"Wait, what?" Hikari shook an angry forefinger at Shinji. "Who decided I was going to be _your_ maid?"

"If you were paying attention to Ani, then you should've realized it." Shinji rolled his eyes at Hikari. "Anyways, if you want to check your room first, be my guest."

Hikari shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'll check at the end of the day, if you don't mind."

As they walked through the hallways, Hikari tapped on Shinji's shoulder. "Um… I hope you don't mind me asking, but is there any way I should address you as a maid?"

"You can address me as my first name. But do not say 'Prince Shinji'."

"Okay, I won't address you as that, but… just addressing you by your first name is a bit uncomfortable. How about Shinju-Chan?" Hikari giggled, but silenced once he gave her his trademark death glare. "S-sorry, I didn't really mean it."

The atmosphere became tense. Shinji was emitting a dark aura and Hikari kept a certain distance away from him.

"So, uh, when you're Shiro, do I have to follow you too?"

That immediately broke the atmosphere into a calmer one. "Yes. If I'm Shiro, I want you to disguise yourself as Hikaru."

They stopped by a door that extended all the way to the ceiling. Hikari felt like she was going to fall if she looked further up.

"Whoa…" Hikari slightly stumbled. "What's in there?"

"The Tobari Ballroom." Shinji opened the door halfway. Beyond the door was an _enormous_ ballroom with gleaming floors. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Peach-colored curtains were closed, leaving only the chandelier's candles to light the room. The other side of the ballroom was another exit. "This is the final place I can show you in Tobari Palace, so this little 'tour' is going to be over."

"Wow…" Hikari didn't dare step into the ballroom. It was as if one step would tarnish its beauty. "It's beautiful."

"Do you have any experience of ballroom dancing?"

Hikari's eyes widened. She then started shaking her head. "No, but I've seen it on television." Her brow twitched. "Why do I have to learn it?"

"Do you remember what Sumomo said before she hopped off that… human pyramid thing?" Shinji shook his head disapprovingly when Hikari looked clueless. "She said there was going to be a Hanami festival." He closed the long doors behind him. "Well, that festival is held by Tobari Palace. There is going to be a large ball around the end of the festival."

Hikari's jaw hung open. By the time she came to her senses, they were near Hikari's new bedroom. "NO! I CAN'T DANCE!"

Shinji covered his ears. "Damn…" He watched the girl cringe in fright. "Then, someone could teach you."

"B-but still! I… I'm afraid to dance!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Looks like you're going to need lessons." He pointed to a large wardrobe near the window. "Your maid uniform is in there. The wardrobe is mostly empty so you can put your other clothes in there." He rolled his eyes once again when Hikari made a dive for the wardrobe.

Hikari opened the doors and found a brand new maid uniform! She stared at it in admiration. "You mean… I can wear this everyday?"

"Sure. But don't wear it when you're in the village with me unless I say otherwise."

"Okay," Hikari closed the wardrobe doors and jumped on her bed. "Wow, this bed is bouncy!" She slightly bounced up and down. "So what are you planning to do for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know. My lessons are in the morning, and I have my dance lesson tonight at nine." He sat on a chair nearby. "You should join me. You'll probably need it."

"Again, I cannot dance very well."

"Were you ever taught?"

"Well… No, but-!"

"Then all the more reason for you to take this lesson too."

Hikari puffed her cheeks. "No." She bounced off the bed and grabbed her new maid uniform. "I'm going to change. Where's the restroom?" Shinji pointed to his right. "Thank you." She went in, and she gaped at the sight. The restroom was large! Well, it wasn't as large as the ballroom, but it was ten times bigger than hers! "Wow."

"Hn." was heard from outside.

"Excuse me?" Silence ensued. Hikari rolled her eyes. She hung it on the door, examining it. It was a knee-length black dress with a simple apron. "Uh…" She hesitated. "Does everyone wear knee-length uniforms?"

"Yes."

Hikari grimaced. She didn't really like knee-length outfits because it slightly restrained her from moving. "Hmmm…" She shrugged and changed into her uniform. She folded her male clothes neatly and came back out. "It's a bit long, but I think I could manage." Shinji was gone. "Well, so much for some respect."

She laid her clothes inside the drawers next to her bed. On top, she found a small note.

_Come to my room when you're done changing._

_-Shinji-_

"Ugh, if he's going to make me take dance lessons with him, I will _never_ agree." She arrived to Shinji's room and took a deep breath. She found him lying on his bed, reading a book. "What do you need?"

"Nothing really."

"You mean you called me here for _nothing_?" she screeched, causing Shinji to plug his ears again.

"Hey, I just realized something."

"What?"

"You haven't addressed me since I revealed I was Shiro."

Hikari laughed nervously. "Yeah, sorry. I just have a hard time addressing you because I know that you're also Shiro." She rubbed the back of her head, flushing from embarrassment. "I apologize for my rudeness."

Shinji shrugged and faced away from her.

A moment of silence passed until Hikari decided to break it again. "So is there anything fun you do here?" There was silence. "Um, you know, I brought my maid uniform from my hometown. Can I wear that instead of this one? I can move more and better." There was no response from Shinji. Hikari took that as a signal to be quiet and stay still.

"You can go back if you want."

Hikari gave a small bow and headed to the door.

"Oh, and open your wardrobe once you get to your room."

That made the girl's eyes widened and she dashed into her room. She skidded to the wardrobe and opened it. A golden dress was hung on a hanger. At the bottom were blue heels that were about two inches high. "Oh my god…" Her eyes moved to another note taped on the front. "Wear this for dance lesson. Tonight at nine sharp," she recited. Her jaws hung again. _Ooh! I just want to strangle him to death!_ she thought. But she knew that denying her _master_'s orders would be beyond rude, so she sighed in defeat.

Hikari's door flew open. "Oh, by the way, your dinner is at six."

She yelped. "Must you do that?" she hissed. "It's bad enough you're forcing me to go to dance lessons with you!"

Shinji smirked. "I hope you know what waltzing is." He closed the door and was gone in a flash before Hikari could even yell at him.

~.~.~

A knock was heard on Hikari's door. "Hikari-San? Are you in there?"

"Coming!" Hikari opened a door to find an orange-haired maid. "Hello." She bowed.

"Hello, my name is Kasumi: the Head Maid. I'm 16 years old though." She smiled. "Anyways, you must be Hikari-San: Shinji-Sama's new maid."

"O-oh! I'm very sorry for not introducing myself earlier!"

"Don't worry, Hikari-San, it's no big deal," Kasumi reassured. "It's almost dinner time and I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the maids here." She guided Hikari to a dining hall. "This dining hall is separate from Reiji-Sama and Shinji-Sama's dining hall. This is ours." Kasumi stepped aside for Hikari to see. "There aren't many maids, but their hospitality can make up for dozens."

"Hi Kasumi-Chan!" A brunette approached the two maids. "Oh! You must be Hikari-Chan! I'm Haruka – 14 years old." She extended out a hand. "It's very nice to meet you!"

Hikari shook Haruka's hand warmly. "It's very nice to meet you too, Haruka-San."

"Oh, there's no need to address me that way. Just call me by Haruka~" the brunette sang. "Oh! Let me get Sumomo-San!" With that, she walked towards a group of ten. Hikari knew it was the Tobari Acrobats and Magic. Haruka dragged Sumomo by the hand to Hikari. "Sumomo-San, meet Hikari-Chan!"

"Hey, Hikari." Sumomo paused. "Or, should I say Hikaru-Kun?"

Hikari's eyes grew wide. "Y-you knew?"

"Of course! I knew when I heard you cheer with the other two participants in the concrete pipe!" Sumomo grinned holding up a peace sign. "But I couldn't believe you were able to fool Shinji with that male disguise!"

The dining hall grew quiet and all eyes were on Hikari.

"You fooled Shinji-San?" Haruka exclaimed. "No way!"

The small group at the other side had rushed to Hikari without a moment of hesitation.

"U-uh…" Hikari laughed nervously. "Well, I wouldn't say fooling him, really." She was cornered. "I traveled around Shinou as a boy, so I don't think it's called fooling. I think it's more like he found my secret and identity."

"Same difference!" Haruka chirped. She then walked away in a hurry.

"Everybody stop pressuring Hikari-San NOW!" Kasumi ordered. Everyone backed away from the panicking Hikari. "Goodness…" She put a reassuring hand on Hikari's shoulder. "Don't worry. I got this." She winked. Hikari smiled in relief. "We all get that Shinji-Sama discovered Hikari-San's true identity. That's all we need to know."

"Dinner has arrived!" Haruka announced. She came out with a cart of dishes. A man appeared behind her. "Takeshi-San, our chef, made us a special dinner to celebrate the welcoming of our new maid, Hikari-Chan!" As everyone applauded, the brunette quickly set the dishes out across the table. Everyone sat in their chairs, while Kasumi guided Hikari to her seat.

The maids, Tobari Acrobats and Magic, and the chef all ate until their hunger was satisfied.

Now the room was filled with conversations of all kinds, filled with laughter. Kasumi had decided to converse with Hikari.

"So, Hikari-San, do you like the dress I picked out for you?"

"Dress?" Suddenly, the golden dress appeared in her thoughts. "Wait, you put that dress there?"

"Yep! Shinji-Sama ordered me to lend you a dress for the dance lessons. They're all mine, actually, but I don't mind lending them to anyone here."

"B-but I can't possibly use that beautiful dress! I am a horrible dancer! What if I trip, fall, and tear it apart?" Hikari grabbed her head in paranoia. "Oh no, what am I gonna do now?"

"You can keep it. That dress doesn't fit me very well anyways." Kasumi beckoned Hikari to come closer. Once she did, Kasumi whispered, "Meet me in my room tomorrow morning. We're going to be pretty busy."

"But what if he needs me?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Shinji-Sama has tutors that will teach him in the morning. He'll be preoccupied with them, so you can tell him that you'll be spending that morning with me, okay?"

"Okay."

"There's also another thing to know. If you hear a faint knocking coming from your wall, then that means Shinji needs your assistance." Hikari nodded.

"Oh, Hikari!" Haruka called out. "It's 7:10! It's almost time for Reiji-San and Shinji-San to have their dinner. You need to go to Shinji-San's room immediately!" She gently pushed Hikari out of the dining hall and dragged her to Shinji's room. "Shinji-San? I brought Hikari-Chan!"

"Whatever."

"Go on." Haruka patted her shoulder and skipped away.

Hikari knocked on the door. "It's almost time for your dinner, Shi…" Unfortunately, Hikari couldn't quite say Shinji's name perfectly. She always called him as 'Prince Shinji' for Arceus' sake! _Maybe I could go with… No, no! That's… That's just more embarrassing!_ She shook her head violently.

The doors opened and Shinji appeared, dressed in a casual outfit. It was a bit fancier than his disguise, though.

"Did you eat?"

"Yes, I ate dinner and met all the staff here." Hikari bowed with a smile. When she stood back up, a dark aura surrounded her. "So you asked Kasumi-San to lend me a dress?" Her brow twitched. "Well, aren't you _awesome_?" she hissed sarcastically through gritted teeth. She sighed.

Shinji shrugged and descended the stairs. Hikari followed him from a foot away.

They entered a lovely dining hall with a red velvet carpet on the floor. Dishes of extravagant-looking food were served already. They were simple dishes, such as soup, but somehow, they looked so fancy.

Reiji waved Shinji over. "Remember that your first dance lesson is at nine, okay?"

Shinji rolled his eyes and started eating his dinner.

The older prince sighed worriedly. "Shinji, just bear with it, please? I do not want to hear anything about you sabotaging your lessons."

Hikari tilted her head. _Prince Reiji is afraid Shinji's gonna ditch? And Shinji told me I should take it with him! Why that little…_ she thought grimly.

"Well, I can't ditch."

"Uh… Why?"

"Because this girl," Shinji paused to point at Hikari with his thumb, "doesn't know how to dance. That's why I'm telling her to take the dance lessons with me."

"Oh?" Reiji looked at Hikari in surprise. "Why is that?"

"I, uh…!" Hikari's eye darted in panic. "I-I can't… dance…" She flushed, embarrassed.

Reiji kindly chuckled. "Don't worry. Shinji can help you. He will have to start dancing in balls, so that's why he has to take dancing lessons."

"Oh, I see." Hikari glanced at Shinji, who seemed to have a pained expression for a second. "Are you okay?"

Shinji didn't reply but jerked his head to the side.

Dinnertime was spent with conversations between Reiji and Hikari, while Shinji ate in silence.

~.~.~

Hikari sighed, grimacing as each minute passed. The clock was slowly making its way to nine o' clock – which meant her dance lesson was near – causing the maid to hit her head against the wall.

She was already wearing the golden dress Kasumi lent her. It was a spaghettis-strapped dress with a periwinkle ribbon tied to the back. It extended to her ankles and it was loose enough for her to move around with ease. The color also went well with her hair color and it matched the golden hair clips she brought with her.

A faint knocking sound was heard from her wall, which made her yelp in alarm. "C-coming!" She slightly opened the door, poking her head in. "You need anything?"

"It's almost time for the dance lessons. Get dressed." Shinji had just finished putting on his tuxedo. He glanced at Hikari.

"Yeah, about that…" Hikari giggled nervously. "I already am."

Shinji slightly tilted his head in interest. "Show me."

She stared at him with stubborn eyes. Before she revealed herself, she stuck her tongue out at him. "What do you think?"

"It's not bad." Shinji shrugged. "I thought I'd go hysterical, but it's not that bad on you."

"Oh, _ha ha_, very funny." She narrowed her eyes. "Are _you_ done dressing?"

"Yeah, whatever." He brushed past Hikari but grabbed her wrist during the process. "We need to go _now._ I just want to get there and finish it _as quickly as POSSIBLE._"

"Sheesh, calm down. If you rush like that, time is _seriously_ gonna be slow for you." Hikari sighed, slightly yanking her wrist off of Shinji's grip. "I'll follow you as fast as I can, so GO." After a minute, they arrived to the ballroom. "Wait, we're gonna learn in _here?_"

"What's so wrong about that?"

"Dude, it's the ballroom!"

"And your point?"

"W-well…" She let out a groan of defeat. "Whatever." The two entered to find Haruka! "Haruka-San?"

"Ah-ah," Haruka shook a finger. "I told you to call me by my first name." She smiled brightly at Hikari's blush. "Anyways, I'm going to be your dance teacher."

Hikari's eyes widened. "Y-you are?"

"Of course!" Haruka confirmed. "I'm a maid for my own master at Houen, but I'm actually Shinji-San's dance teacher until the Hanami Festival. It looks I have another cute student to teach!" She pulled Hikari into a hug, giggling. Shinji rolled his eyes at the sight.

"And I thought you were just some random maid who was really talkative and had no good abilities."

"Shinji!" Hikari nudged Shinji – _hard _– in the ribs.

"Ah, well, I get that a lot. That's why one of my other abilities is surprising people!" Haruka grinned. "Now, before I start teaching you how to dance, I need to teach you the position of the Waltz." She approached her two students. "You two have to face each other." The two did so. "Now you two have to be closer to the point where your bodies almost touch."

"Huh?" Hikari stared at Haruka, baffled and blushing.

"Wait, I'm not done yet." Haruka smiled. "Let me show you an example first." She took a deep breath. "REIJI-SAMA!" With that, Reiji walked in with a tuxedo. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Haruka-Kun." Reiji approached Haruka, bowing to each other first.

"Now, the Waltz position is like this." Haruka held out her right hand to the side and Reiji took it ever so gently. Then, she placed her left hand on Reiji's shoulder, while Reiji placed his arm underneath hers and placed his right hand on her shoulder blade. "Remember, the lady's arm has to be resting on the gentleman's arm. The gentleman's wrist has to meet the lady's underarm. Also, you need body contact." She stepped closer to Reiji, almost making their bodies touch. "Voila! You have a perfect Waltz position!"

Hikari was staring in surprise – while blushing – while Shinji stared with deadpan eyes.

Haruka broke apart from Reiji, thanking him for volunteering. Reiji left and it was Haruka, Hikari, and Shinji alone again.

"Since we have Hikari-Chan and Shinji-San here, why don't you two try the position?"

"Wh-what?" Hikari panicked. She has to dance with _the_ Prince Shinji? "W-w-w-wait, b-b-but th-this…!"

Shinji did so without a moment's hesitation. He placed his right hand on Hikari's shoulder blade. He took Hikari's hand and held it up. All that was left to perfect it was that Hikari had to place her hand on his shoulder.

Hikari, instead of blushing, looked up at Shinji in awe. Compared to her, he followed Haruka's instructions well. He was a prince after all, and Shinji seemed to have a different character. She hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, we all know that it'd feel strange to dance with the opposite gender like this – since you two met today and all – but I need to teach you two how to dance." She stepped aside, revealing a small orchestra. "But this waltz song is something Shinji-San only knows, so he is going to teach you the basic moves."

"Haruka-San, what are you going to do?"

"I have to watch, of course!" Haruka smiled. "Just go with this advice, Hikari-Chan." She gestured the orchestra to play. "Listen first, and then dance with the flow of the rhythm." The violinist and pianist began to play in sync, then the flutist, and finally, the harpist.

Hikari listened to few notes. She felt swayed by the soothing music.

"Are you ready?" Shinji asked.

Hikari nodded, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm ready."

~.~.~

_A/N: Sorry, guys, I have to stop there for now. I have to think of ballroom dance moves to go with this song. ^^"_

_You should listen to it. It's very soothing and it sometimes lulls me to sleep. xD_

_www. youtube. com/watch?v=U66L3t68D5A [__**Lotus by Secret Garden**__]_

_I'd suggest that you turn up your speakers just a bit louder. This video makes it quieter than usual._


	3. Dance Lessons

_A/N: Yeah, I reconstructed this chapter starting from where they meet the Pokémon. Unfortunately, I'm not going to include any Pokémon in here. ^^" Sorry about that!_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****3****:**** Dance Lessons**

"I'm ready."

"Ah! Slow down you two!" Haruka quietly interrupted. "Don't rush. Listen to the whole song first." She swayed gracefully with the music. "Then dance." She added in a small twirl.

Hikari nodded and broke away from Shinji, blushing.

They listened to the whole song first. The orchestra came to an end, receiving applause from Haruka, Hikari, and Shinji.

"Wow, this song is so beautiful!" Hikari remarked. "It almost sounds like a lullaby."

"That's why it's one of my favorite songs." Haruka smiled. "Okay, so do you think you can go with the flow?"

"W-well, m-maybe," Hikari stuttered. "I-I mean, what if I accidentally step on his foot? What if I trip and hurt him? What if I-?" She was shook by Haruka. "I'm good, I'm good!"

Haruka let go of the latter's shoulders. "Don't worry, Hikari-Chan. Everyone are bad from the start. You should've seen my master. He's stepped on my foot on accident so many times!"

Shinji raised a brow. "Are you sure he didn't do that on purpose?"

"I'm sure, because that was his first year." Haruka tapped her foot. "It's funny to me. Today, he is a very fine dancer." She tilted her head as she smiled. "So what do you two think? Do you think you're ready to begin?"

Shinji shrugged. He faced Hikari, extending out his left hand. Hikari, who blushed, hesitantly took his hand. They both went back to their waltz position.

"Again, don't worry about it, Hikari-Chan. Shinji-San knows the dance moves for this song very well."

Hikari nodded nervously. "Okay."

Haruka raised a finger and signaled the orchestra to start playing. The violinist and pianist began, and then the flutist and the harpist played.

Shinji kept his eyes on Hikari's. "Go with the rhythm of the music and sync your movements with mine," he whispered. He took a step back and so did Hikari. Then he took a step to the side and she followed. Unfortunately, her footing was off so she stepped on his foot. Shinji bit his lip, suppressing a hiss. Hikari noticed this.

Her hands flew out of his hands. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!"

Shinji exhaled. "It's okay. I've been through worse." He tapped the end of his shoe against the marble floor. "I'm just glad I didn't give you taller heels." The orchestra was still playing, despite their little accident. "Let's try it again." They danced again, but this time, Hikari stumbled backward! Haruka managed to catch her in time.

"I really can't dance after all," Hikari complained. She sighed. "This is going to be impossible…!"

"Maybe it's stage fright?" the flutist suggested.

"It's possible, Haruka-San."

Haruka observed Hikari. "Do you have stage fright, Hikari-Chan?"

"No." Hikari shook her head. "I don't have stage fright at all. I keep stepping on him, but I swear it's all by accident!"

"Maybe you're not used to the orchestra very well…" Haruka whispered to herself. "Why don't we try a different method of music?"

"A different method?" Shinji asked. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno. Maybe she's not used to traditional style of music but the technical ways." Haruka looked at Hikari. "Does your maid café use a stereo system instead of any instruments?"

Hikari nodded. "Yes. You might be right, Haruka-San. I don't think I'm used to the traditional ways…" She faced Shinji and Haruka, giving them a small bow. "I apologize that I cannot dance like this."

Haruka placed her hands on her hips. "I dunno. Something about your dance was bothering me, but I just can't put my finger on it…" She crossed her arms, thinking. "Let me take a look again."

The orchestra began to play again. Shinji and Hikari positioned themselves and danced along. Hikari managed to do just fine, until she tripped over Shinji's foot and fell face-flat! "Oof!"

Shinji smacked his forehead. "You are hopeless."

"Now, now, Shinji-San, there is no need to say that." Haruka helped Hikari up. "She just needs practice. No offense to Hikari-Chan, but she's never danced before." She pointed to the apathetic prince. "While you, Shinji-San, had some experience in dancing before, so you shouldn't be criticizing her." She took a deep breath. "Shinji-San, did you notice anything different while you were dancing with Hikari-Chan?"

"Not really." Shinji glanced at Hikari, who was fiddling with her heels. "Want me to try spotting something?"

"Yes, please." Haruka gestured Hikari to dance with him again. "Like Shinji-San and I said previously: Go with the rhythm." The music started once again and the two began to dance once more.

While Hikari was trying her best not to hurt Shinji any further, he was checking on their position.

_Her hands are fine and her feet are in sync with mine. What's the problem here?_ He recalled how Haruka and Reiji showed them the position.

"_Remember, the lady's arm has to be resting on the gentleman's arm. The gentleman's wrist has to meet the lady's underarm. Also, you need body contact." She stepped closer to Reiji, almost making their bodies touch. "Voila! You have a perfect Waltz position!"_

Something clicked in Shinji's head. _Body contact?_ His eyes moved to their waists. They were like half a foot away from each other! Shinji sighed. "The only reason why you're hurting me is _because_ you're inches away from me."

"That's because I'm new to this!" Hikari stuttered. "Do you know how embarrassing this is for me?"

Shinji glanced at Haruka, who responded with a gesture to continue. He shook his head. "Well, you'll have to deal with it." His right hand – which was placed on Hikari's shoulder blade – was placed on her waist, pulling her closer to him and making their bodies touch!

"Eep!" she squeaked, turning a crimson red. "Shi-Shinji!"

"Oh, so that was the problem!" Haruka chirped. "Nice job spotting it, Shinji-San!"

"Hn." Shinji and a red Hikari continued to dance without any accidents. The poor maid felt like her mind was going to overload. Her heart was beating so hard, she thought Shinji could've felt it!

_This is so embarrassing! Why did it have to be dancing lessons of all things? Why?_ she thought. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, her heel slipped! "Whoa!" She stumbled backwards and was sprawled on the floor! "I'm not cut out for this, Haruka-San…"

"Nonsense, Hikari-Chan!" Haruka responded. "If my master was able to dance like a professional before a ball, then you can too." She helped Hikari up once again. "Remember that this is your first day. No one can dance perfectly on their first day." Hikari had glanced at Shinji and Haruka followed her look. "Well, maybe except him."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I watched Ani dance a lot, okay?" He shook his head. "Anyways, how much longer do we have to continue this lesson?"

"The lesson is only one hour, so… we have about 15 more minutes." Haruka checked her watch to verify. "Oh well, let's just call it a night and rest. Thanks for the music, guys! Good night!" The orchestra had bid Shinji, Hikari, and Haruka a good night and left the ballroom. "So, Hikari-Chan, what do you think of the lesson – despite the small accidents and such?"

"I wouldn't say it's that difficult." Hikari sheepishly shrugged. "But I need to improve my footwork…"

"And your fear of dancing together with the opposite gender…"

"Oh be quiet!" Hikari retorted. She pointed an angry forefinger at Shinji. "You know what _you_ need to improve? You need to improve on remembering your own maid's name!"

"Whatever…" he paused, "Hisako."

A volcano erupted. "Excuse me, but I've told you my name before! It's Hikari!"

"I don't remember."

There was an eerie silence from Hikari. She gritted her teeth, preparing herself to lash out at him. "Why you…!" She was just about to lunge at him until Haruka restrained her! Only Hikari's legs were lashing out at him. "You think you're funny, huh? Well, it's not-!"

"C-calm down, Hikari-Chan! (_Hikari: so stop acting like a spoiled brat, you idiot!_)"

Shinji smirked. "Can you take her to her room?"

"Of course, Shinji-San. Good night~" Haruka carried the irritated Hikari outside the ballroom. She lowered Hikari down. "Have you calmed down?"

"Sorry… But isn't it frustrating when someone forgets your name?"

"Mhm, but it also depends on how long that person spent time with you or how smart they are." Haruka glanced at the ballroom to Hikari. "So, in your case, yes."

Hikari sighed in relief. "At least you get what I mean, Haruka-San."

"Do you want me to accompany you to your room or are you able to go alone?"

"I'll be fine alone, thank you." Hikari took a bow and the two went their separate ways to their rooms. "Good night, Haruka-San!"

"Nighty night, Hikari-Chan!" Haruka disappeared in the hallway and Hikari went upstairs.

Of course, after she went upstairs, she'd have to ascend another flight of stairs. She arrived to her room and flung herself on the bed. "Oh! The dress!" She changed back to her maid uniform and hung the golden dress in the wardrobe. She placed the heels below it. Hikari sighed. "Now I have to take lessons with _him_?"

A knocking was heard from Hikari's wall.

"Coming!" She dragged her feet across the floor to Shinji's room. She found Shinji sitting up, in his blankets, reading a book. "What do you need?"

Shinji closed the book and placed it on the drawer. "First, is there any name you're going to address me as?"

"Sir Rudeness?" Hikari sarcastically suggested. After a moment of silence, she sighed. "May I address you as 'Master Shinji'?"

"You're going to address me as that?"

"Hey, it's a term we maids use at the maid café to greet our customers. What, I can't address you as that?"

"I didn't say it was bad." Shinji rolled his eyes. "Well, now that we got that issue across, I got request for you."

"Oh joy…"

"Stay here until I'm asleep."

"That is _such_ a cliché request to give me, in my case." Hikari shook her head disapprovingly. "There are customers who request us to stay in their rooms until they're asleep, but they actually stay up ALL night just to look at us. _You_ might be planning to stay up all night just to tease me until _I_ fall asleep, right?"

Shinji stayed silent, but he was wearing an expression of disbelief. "Your impression of my request can be so to others too, but…" He faced the other way and lied on his bed, propping his elbow on the soft pillow. He rested his head on his hand. "It's not like I'm planning anything bad. It would be very dishonorable of me as a prince."

Hikari shrugged. "True, but I'm still keeping my guard up."

Shinji smirked. "Are you planning anything tomorrow afternoon?"

"No."

"Dress as Hikaru tomorrow."

"Okay. And you'll be dressing as Shiro, right?"

"Yes."

Hikari nodded, looking at the clock. "Do you mind if I sit down on a chair?"

"I don't mind."

She found a chair near the drawer and brought it near Shinji's bed. "So you want me to stay here until you're asleep?" There was silence. "How do I know if you're asleep?" Another moment of silence. "Master Shinji?" She felt like giggles were going to escape her lips as she addressed him. She listened to his breathing. It was even. "Good night, Goshujin-Sama."

Hikari left Shinji's room and entered hers. "Sheesh, what's the point of asking me to stay when you can sleep so easily?" She groaned. "That idiot… I can't remember how I got myself into this mess."

She changed into her male clothes and took out an alarm clock from her bag. She set the alarm to six in the morning and went to the restroom to brush her teeth. She then came out and snuggled inside the blankets. The pillows and blanket were soft and fluffy. "I just might get used to this." Within minutes, she fell into unconsciousness.

~.~.~

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

Hikari's eyes fluttered open to the ringing of her alarm clock. She woke up with a large yawn. The sun was starting to rise over the horizon and the sky was given an orange-pink hue. She turned off the alarm and sat in her blankets for a while. "I think I'll take an early morning stroll." She hopped off her bed and headed to the restroom.

After she brushed her teeth, she dressed in her male clothes and headed out.

"Ah? Hikari-Kun?"

Hikari nearly jumped 5 feet into the air! She wheeled around to see none other than Reiji! "P… Prince Reiji! Good Arceus, you frightened me!"

"Sorry, Hikari-Kun. So what are you doing up so early?"

"I want to take an early morning stroll," she replied. She fiddled with her fingers. "If you don't mind me asking… What are you doing up this early, Prince Reiji?"

"I have the same reason as you, Hikari-Kun." Reiji examined Hikari's clothing. "Ah, you are going as Hikaru, right?"

"Yes," Hikari answered with a nod.

"Hm, would you mind taking a walk with me?"

Hikari's eyes widened. "A-are you sure?"

"Of course! I always walk this early in the morning."

"Um, are you wearing a disguise like me and him?" She pointed to Shinji's room.

"Yes, and I go by the name of Kei." He took out the hair tie that held his purple hair into a ponytail. Hikari felt herself blush at the sight. He had hair that extended to his shoulder blades and it was LOOSE! "Hikari-Kun, do you think putting my hair down would be a good disguise?"

"No offense, Prince Reiji, but no. Your purple hair is what stands out." Hikari approached Reiji and looked up at his hair. "May I try changing your hairstyle? I need your hair tie, though." Reiji handed her his hair tie. "Thank you." She gathered Reiji's hair together in one hand and combed it up with her fingers. Then, she tied it into another ponytail, but it was much higher than his low ponytail.

Reiji touched his new ponytail. "Now what?"

"Do you have a hat?"

"Yes." Reiji showed Hikari a cap that resembled hers.

"Perfect!" Hikari helped him put the cap on. "There we go! Now your hair is hidden!"

Reiji gave Hikari a small bow. "Thank you, Hikari-Kun." When he stood back up, he observed Hikari. "You know, we just might look like siblings."

Hikari stuck out her tongue playfully. "I don't think we look that much alike, Prince Reiji."

He shrugged, laughing. "Let's take that little morning stroll, shall we?"

"Oh, but what about Ma-Master Shinji?"

"His alarm should've been ringing before you came out."

"Why? Do his studies start that early?"

"No, he likes to take walks with me." After a few minutes, Shinji hadn't come out. "I'll go wake Shinji up."

"N-no, no, I'll do it!" Hikari rushed upstairs in a flash and knocked on Shinji's door. "Master Shinji?"

"Ugh, stupid alarm clock…" was heard from the lad. "Ani's going for a stroll right now?"

"Um, yes, I'm going with him too." Hikari turned to Reiji. "Prince Reiji, is it okay if you can wait a little longer?"

"No problem, Hikari-Kun." Reiji sat on a nearby chair and stared at the garden of flowers outside.

"Master Shinji, we'll be waiting downstairs until you're done dressing."

"Whatever."

Hikari went downstairs and waited with Reiji.

Reiji glanced at the maid. "So you're addressing him as 'Master Shinji'?" Hikari nodded nervously. "Well, I haven't heard that before." He stared at Shinji's door. "The maid he's had before grew tired of his attitude and quit with an excuse." He sighed. "I would understand why they would quit, though. Hikari-Kun," he stood up, placing his hand on her shoulder, "do you think you might be able to be his maid longer than the others?"

Hikari glanced from Reiji to Shinji's room. "I think so. I've experienced his kind of attitude before, so I can bear it."

"Thank you, Hikari-Kun. That would mean a lot to me."

Shinji came out of his room, dressed as Shiro. "Ani, do I need to fix your hair again?"

Reiji winked at Hikari, who blushed. "It's okay, Shinji. Hikari-Kun did it for me." He showed Shinji the beanie cap that hid his hair. "Hikari-Kun and I just might look like siblings this way." He stood next to Hikari, smiling. "What do you think, Shinji?"

Shinji jerked his head to the side. "I couldn't care less." He brushed past the two down another flight of stairs. They followed. "So what do you have in plan for today?"

"I have to greet the visitors, of course. The prince from Kantou is visiting me for a meeting today. Why don't you join us too?"

"Does, uh, Hina have to join me too?"

"IT'S HIKARI, DAMMIT!" She cupped her mouth and her eyes darted back and forth. "It's Hikari, but right now," she deepened her voice, "I'm Hikaru." Reiji and Shinji were impressed by the quick change in her voice. She smirked, raising her brows. "What do you think? Is my acting good or what?"

"When did you learn how to do that?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, please, Master Shinji." Hikari rolled her eyes smugly. "I've spent almost a year traveling to Tobari City as a boy. How can I not be able to do this?" She still continued her male façade.

"Well, let's go with that walk, shall we?" Reiji reminded. The three slipped out of the palace grounds without any villagers discovering them. "Hikaru-Kun, is there any place you want to see?"

Hikari tapped her finger on her chin. "Well, I haven't seen the Tobari Meteorites. I hear that they look astonishing because of their light blue glow."

"Yes, but they look much more beautiful in the night. In the day, the sun shines on the meteorites." Reiji pointed to his right. "Tobari City is built around them so they're at the center of the city." He placed his hands on his hips, staring at the location. "I recommend you see it at night, so why don't you check it out sometime?"

"I'd love to!" Hikari gushed. "I'll check it out after the… d-dance lesson."

Reiji chuckled. "Okay, then. Oh, there's the mountain." He pointed to the mountain ahead, which a few houses were built on. "That's where Sumomo goes to train with her party." He smiled. "I'm not sure how she'll react if I ever brought you there. She won't be very content when she sees either one of us."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Apparently, that's like their secret hideout, so they feel a bit uncomfortable."

Hikari had a look of surprise. "I thought they would've been used to you and Shiro-San."

Shinji crossed his arms. "They are. It's just that they discuss their new routines for their next performance."

"Oh…"

The rest of the morning was peaceful and quiet. They passed along a few people with a few greetings, without being noticed.

~.~.~

_A/N: Yeah… This isn't much of a good chapter. But in the next one, it gets better. ^^ So wait for it~_


	4. New Friends

_A/N: Chapter 4! Are you surprised that I uploaded all these in one whole night? No, you obviously shouldn't be. xD_

_Characters: Leaf a.k.a Green or Blue, Shigeru/Gary, Nozomi/Zoey, Kissaki City/Snowpoint City_

_And I changed my mind about their age. I'm gonna make Reiji be 24, Kasumi 16, Haruka 15, Leaf 14, and Hikari, Nozomi, and Shinji 13._

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****4****:**** New Friends**

The three had finished their walk, and Shinji was getting ready for his lessons. Hikari waited in his room as he prepared.

"Master Shinji? Where's Prince Reiji?"

"He's probably preparing to have tea with the prince of Kantou." Shinji rolled his eyes. "Do you have any plans while I have my studies?"

"Oh yes! Kasumi-San wanted me to go with her for today. Is that alright with you, Master Shinji?"

"Hn," Shinji shrugged. "It looks like you've already grown used to addressing me as that."

Hikari slightly flushed. "Oh well. It's probably a bit of a habit…" She scratched the back of her head. "So uh…" she fiddled with her thumbs. "What do you learn in your lessons?"

"The usual academic subjects: Math, Japanese and English, Science, and History."

Hikari's jaw dropped. "In one whole _morning_?"

Shinji shrugged. "It's from seven (which is now) to twelve – one hour each lesson – not that long." He smirked at Hikari's reaction. "You're just like Aniki. He can't even handle one hour of Japanese." He sighed, shaking his head. "But what I _can't_ believe is his patience with his… f-fan girls." Shinji slightly shuddered at the word.

"You don't like fan girls?"

"I _hate_ them," he hissed ominously. Hikari cowered at such intensity.

"Well… That sure is a blunt way of putting it." She looked out the window until Shinji spoke up again.

"Do you have anyone you like?"

"Huh? W-w-what are you talking about?"

"I can't ask?" Shinji raised a brow. "I'm just asking if you have anyone you like."

"O-of course!" Hikari stuttered, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. "B-but I'm _not_ telling you who I like!"

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask who, Troublesome Girl…" he muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"…" He ignored her and brushed past her.

"You're lucky I've dealt with your type of personality before…" Hikari followed Shinji out of his room, wondering where he takes his lessons. "Do you have your own private classroom?"

"Something like that."

"Ooh, is it big?"

"Not really." Shinji shrugged. "It's your average size of a classroom."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "… which _is_ big for a _one_-student class." She recomposed herself to her maid façade. "Do you want me to follow you to your classroom, Master Shinji?"

"No." Shinji waved his hand dismissively. "You can go to Kasumi-San. She might be waiting for you at her room."

"Fortunately, I am not." The two looked up to find Kasumi, dressed in casual attire. It was a red shirt with yellow vest buttoned over it and a slightly loose pair of yellow shorts that extended to her knees. "I just arrived here to pick up Hikari, Shinji-Sama." She took out a red hair tie and tied her short orange hair into a side ponytail. "I will need her to come to my room, though. She is in no preparation to our schedule today."

Shinji shrugged, brushing past Hikari and Kasumi into the classroom. "Whatever. Go."

Hikari bowed. "I will be taking my leave then."

"This way, Hikari." Kasumi guided Hikari to her room. "I've heard from Reiji-Sama that you had a male's attire, so I decided to give you one of my outfits." She opened her wardrobe and took out two hangers. One was a light yellow undershirt. The other had a black shirt with a pink skirt. "Wear the light yellow dress first, then the pink skirt, then the black shirt.

"Ka-Kasumi-San! I-I can't accept this! This is yours, isn't it?" Hikari was frantically waving her hands in front of her face.

"Yes, it's true, but I've outgrown it." Kasumi smiled nervously. "Besides, the style doesn't really match me." She held the clothes out to Hikari. "And, it fits you very well! It also might go well with your beanie cap!"

"U-um…" Hikari hesitantly looked at the outfit. It looked very pretty, so there was no way she could accept this! "A-are you sure?"

"Of course!" Kasumi became slightly impatient and shoved the outfits to Hikari.

"B-b-but… I-I c-can't…!"

"Come on, go change!" She pushed the stuttering girl into her restroom.

"Kasumi-San!" Hikari whined.

"No 'buts', Hikari! Would you wear it if I told you we are going to shop for new outfits for you?"

"That's only going to make me feel guiltier…" and small shuffling noises were heard. A small giggle escaped Kasumi's lips. "I'm done, Kasumi-San. Where do you want me to leave my uniform?"

"Just give it to me. I'll put it in my wardrobe until we come back."

Hikari came out with her new outfit. The dress extended to the middle of her thighs. "This dress fits me perfectly! What do you think, Kasumi-San?" She smiled sheepishly.

"You look cute, Hikari!" Kasumi gushed.

"Th-thank you…" She scratched the back of her head, slightly blushing. Suddenly, a thought appeared. "Wait, but I don't have any money to buy any clothes."

"What about your paycheck?" This caused Hikari to look up in confusion. Kasumi shook her head, giggling. "There should've been a paycheck on top of your drawers. Didn't you see a white envelope with the Tobari emblem on it?"

"No… No I haven't."

"Oh?" Kasumi tapped her finger on her chin. "Oh my…! I'm sorry! I forgot to give you your paycheck!" She cupped her mouth in shock. "Gosh! I have so many things on my mind! Here, I'll get your paycheck right now." She rushed into another room, leaving Hikari and her thoughts. Hikari just stayed in her current location, waiting for Kasumi to come back out.

_Shopping? But my male clothing is just fine with me… Doesn't nearly everyone of either gender wear those things?_ Hikari thought of her clothes. She had a slightly baggy black shirt (sweatshirt, really), jean-like shorts that were ripped at the knees, brown sandals, and a large beanie cap that could cover her whole head. _… I should look at myself in the mirror when I'm Hikaru again._

Kasumi came out of the room, holding the envelope in her hands. "I got it!" She handed her the paycheck. "Yes, I know you've been here for only a day, but this paycheck is for your hard work at the first day. Paychecks are sent to you every month."

Hikari accepted the paycheck hesitantly, unsure of if she deserved it or not. She slowly opened it and took out her first paycheck. Her eyes widened five times their original size. "W-w-what? B-but I don't even deserve this much!"

"I know, but this is a paycheck to get you started," Kasumi elaborated. "It's how much everyone gets after their first day. So why don't we go shopping right now?"

"Kasumi-Senpai! Don't leave me out!" a voice whined from behind Kasumi's door.

"Come in, Haruka. _(Hikari: Haruka-San?)_"

The brunette entered Kasumi's room, dressed in a simple white collar shirt and a mini skirt. A small purse was slung over her shoulder. The moment she stepped in, her eyes widened at Hikari. "Oh… my… gosh…! Hikari-Chan, you look so adorable!"

"Ha-Haruka-San! What are you doing here?"

"Kasumi-Senpai invited me to shop with you!" Haruka squealed, jumping up and down. "I swear, I am going to pick the _cutest_ outfits for you!"

Hikari shook her head, waving her hands frantically. "N-no, no, no, t-that won't be necessary, Haruka-San! I-I'd rather just go with this!" She pointed to her black-and-pink dress. Suddenly, she found herself being cornered by a giggling Kasumi and a smirking Haruka.

"No need to be shy, Hikari-Chan!" Haruka sang.

"Eep!"

~.~.~

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Hikari continued to chant her protests as she was dragged to the Tobari Department Store by Kasumi and Haruka. It wasn't like she didn't like to shop; she _LOVED_ to shop for clothes. But it was awkward to go shopping like this!

"Relax, Hikari-Chan. It's only for the morning." Haruka giggled. "Besides, I hear there's going to be a BIG sale in Lovely Togekiss!" She placed a finger on her lower lip. "But I wonder if they still have the dress I wanted…"

Kasumi tapped her chin. "Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" The three entered Lovely Togekiss, greeted by a soft fragrance of peppermint. "Let's see… Where could the dress section be?" Haruka also joined Kasumi for the search of the dresses section in the large store.

Hikari used this chance to sneak off into a different section of the store. Her eyes slyly scanned the aisles and quietly headed to a different section of the store. She looked around to see if Kasumi or Haruka was around. Nope, no one was around. _Phew… That was close,_ she thought. Hikari exhaled in relief and looked at the aisle she was in. There were matching outfits hanging on the wall. There was a lime green dress that seemed to extend to the knees. It had a low-cut blouse with small frills on the hem of the dress.

"Hi!"

"… Uh…" Hikari hesitantly glanced behind her and caught a glimpse of brown hair. "I-I can explain!" She wheeled around, expecting to see Haruka. But she saw someone else instead.

The girl before her had waist-length brown hair and blue eyes. She had a green shirt and a sky blue frilly skirt. She blinked at Hikari in confusion, but shrugged it off. "My name's Leaf! Are you planning to buy that?" Leaf pointed to the lime green dress.

"O-oh, this?" Hikari pointed to the set. She shook her head. "No. I'm just looking around."

Leaf giggled, taking the dress off the hanger. "Would you like to help me choose a few outfits?" She looked at Hikari with puppy eyes. "Please?"

"Okay. I have nothing better to do anyways." Hikari followed Leaf to the changing rooms. She sat on a nearby seat while Leaf changed in a stall. "So, uh, Leaf-San, was it?"

"How old are you?"

"Huh?" Hikari blinked. "I'm thirteen."

"Hey! I'm only one year older than you!" Leaf chirped. "There's no need to call me with those kinds of honorifics. Truthfully, I hate that. Just call me 'Leaf'." She opened the stall door. Leaf was wearing a forest green shirt that extended to her stomach and a pair of jean shorts. She also added a bright khaki cap to match her outfit. "What do you think?"

Hikari's eyes slightly widened. "Um, wow, Leaf… What is the outfit for?"

"I don't look it, but I like to break-dance." She lowered her cap, smirking. "You see, I always compete with my rival. He ALWAYS gets the best of me, though…" Leaf's cheeks puffed and she pouted. "It's so unfair…! Girls are supposed to be more flexible than guys!"

"Wow, you break-dance? May I see that sometime?"

"Of course!" Leaf chimed. "I'll be competing with him again today. We'll be competing in Tobari Square." She smirked, pumping up a fist. "I'll win this time! I'm sure of it!"

"I can't wait to see it!" Hikari squealed.

"Hey, thanks for stalling her, Leaf!" Haruka appeared out of nowhere, grinning. She was holding two large red bags in one hand while two outfits were in her other hand.

"No problem, Haruka-Chan!" Leaf giggled. "You know, Hikari-Chan is a _very_ bright girl!" She took off her cap, combing her hair with her fingers. "She's so adorable!"

Kasumi came to the changing rooms, carrying one average-sized bag and two outfits in her hands. "Well, I'm done with my share of shopping for Hikari. It looks like Haruka is done too."

Hikari gaped at Leaf, who was giggling. "L-Leaf, you know them?"

"Of course, they're my best friends!" Leaf went back into the stall and changed back into her original clothes. "I think I'm gonna buy this. Haruka-Chan, Kasumi-Chan, can you help me choose between these dresses? The first two are for the Tobari Ball and the other two are for casual wear. I'm trying to choose one for each." She held up the same lime green dress from before, a puffy, thigh-length forest green dress, a yellow-green dress that started from the left thigh to the right knee, and a knee-length blue-green dress with spaghetti straps.

Haruka and Kasumi held Hikari still while they examined Leaf's green dresses.

"Well, the lime green color matches your bubbly personality, and the length of it shows how sly you can be," Kasumi depicted.

"Hmmm… The forest green dress matches pretty well with your eyes and the puffiness explains your upbeat personality," Haruka added.

Leaf tilted her head. "What about you, Hikari-Chan? What do you think I should choose?"

Pure panic blazed in her eyes. "U-uh… I'm not really sure. I think if the forest green dress was lime green, I think that would be perfect! The puffiness and the color would show her bright and bubbly personality!" She found herself being stared at by the three girls. "… W-what?"

"You're like a professional stylist!" Haruka squeaked. She shook Hikari by the shoulders. "You _have_ to help us with our dresses!"

"Haruka-San! Please stop shaking me! I'm getting dizzy!" Hikari exclaimed through every shake. As soon as the dizziness cleared, she examined the Tobari Ball dresses. "I'll ask one of the employees if they have the lime green version of this." She took the puffy dress and approached the counter. "Excuse me, do you have a lime green color of this dress?"

The employee took a look at the tag. "Of course, ma'am! I'll get it for you right away." She disappeared behind a door and soon came back out with the lime green version. "Is this the right color?"

An excited smile spread across Hikari's face. "It's perfect!" She took it with both hands and gave a short bow. "Thank you!" She returned back to the changing rooms, where Leaf, Kasumi, and Haruka were waiting. "Here you go!"

Leaf squealed. "Kyah, thanks so much, Hikari-Chan! I love it!" She hugged the lime green dress. "Now that we've gotten that down, what about the casual wear?"

"I'd go with the blue-green," Hikari suggested.

"We second that," Kasumi and Haruka chimed.

"Alrighty then! Blue-green it is!" Leaf returned the three dresses to their original location. "Thank you so much!" She ran to the counter, buying her new outfits. After a few minutes, she came back with two green bags in her hands. "Now then…" A devilish grin grew on her face. "Shall we start dressing Hikari-Chan?"

Hikari's eyes grew large. "… NO." But it was too late. She was thrown in a large stall. Kasumi, Haruka, and Leaf also went in.

"If you don't dress, we're gonna force it on you!" Haruka giggled. Kasumi and she handed Hikari the two outfits they were carrying. "Are you gonna wear it yourself or will we have to force ya?"

"I-I'll wear it myself!" Hikari snatched the four outfits and kicked – not literally – the three out of the stall. "Sheesh…" She grabbed a random outfit from the pile. It was pink with a white blouse. There was a red and yellow sash and a large red ribbon that went along with it. Also, there were two small red ribbons attached to the blouse. She tried it on as carefully as possible. "Hmmm…" Hikari looked at herself in the human-sized mirror.

"Are you done yet?"

"I'm done!"

"Come on out, so we can see you!"

"… Okay…" Hikari hesitantly came out of the stall. She stood in front of the three sheepishly. "What do you think?"

"It looks so cute on you!" Leaf gushed.

"But let's see how she looks with the other outfits first. Hikari-Chan, wear the light pink dress."

Hikari took that as a cue to change into another outfit. She went back in and found the light pink dress Haruka mentioned. It was a shoulder-less, short sleeved dress with white gloves that are supposed to be worn above the elbows. A ribbon was sewn at the right side of the hips. It extended to the ankles, and it was slightly puffy.

"I'm coming out… again…" She opened the door and gave a small curtsy. "What do you think now?"Kasumi, Haruka, and Leaf were murmuring to each other, nodding to each other. "Um… Hello?"

"You look gorgeous! That one is a keeper!" Haruka remarked.

"I second that!" Leaf added.

"I third that." Kasumi giggled. "Hand me that other dress and I'll put it back. Give Haruka that dress when you're done changing." Hikari gave Kasumi the first dress she wore.

"Let's see… There are two more outfits left, so… try them on!"

"But, Haruka-San…!"

"No 'buts', Hikari-Chan! Now go back in there and change into whatever you grab… Except that pink-and-black dress Kasumi-Chan gave you!" Haruka gently shoved Hikari back in the stall, closing the door behind her.

Hikari started murmuring under her breath as she changed into a simple white dress with a yellow ribbon in the back. She came out, a blush slowly creeping its way to her cheeks. "I like this one. It's very simple."

"Try the other one too!" Leaf suggested.

"Okay…" She went back in the stall and changed into the last dress she had left. It was a light orange Chinese dress. "Huh, this looks cool." It also came with navy blue tights. The design of the dress had a few simple Sakura flowers and petals. On the bottom, there was a picture of a smiling Cherubi. She came out of the stall, slightly fidgeting. "What about this one?"

Leaf monotonously hummed as she compared the Chinese dress to the white dress.

Kasumi came back, her brows rising in interest. Haruka pursed her lips together, tapping her finger against her lip.

After a few minutes, the four girls looked at each other. "Let's go with the white dress."

The four approached the counter, but found a red-haired girl talking to the employee. She wore a red shirt, a yellow vest, jeans, and sunglasses. Her hair was so short that she could've been mistaken as a boy!

"Hey, who's that?"

Hikari gasped. "Nozomi!"

The red-head arched her neck to see Hikari. "Ah! Hikari! Long time no see!" She approached the blunette, a big smile on her face. "What's up? I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Me too! I think that last time we saw each other was last year's festival!"

Kasumi, Haruka, and Leaf all blinked.

"Oh! Let me introduce myself!" Nozomi reminded. "I'm Nozomi from Kissaki City. It's nice to meet you!" She grinned, adjusting her sunglasses to place.

"What brings you here, Nozomi?"

"Just shopping for a dress…"

Leaf poked her head next to Hikari's, staring at Nozomi. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I got the _perfect_ dress that could totally fit you!" She grabbed Nozomi's hand and ran to the opposite side of the aisle. Hikari, Haruka, and Kasumi were left in the dust, their minds completely going blank.

Hikari was the first to speak. "… What just happened…?"

~.~.~

_A/N: LOL, no, this isn't a cliff hanger. xDD But the next chapter is going to be continued starting from here. Now… I need to work on my Mystique fic. :P_

_Edit: Please read my new fanfic __**Tobari Shinobi: Shinou Scandal**__! It has Pokémon and ninjas! 8D Obviously IkariShipping / ContestShipping / PokeShipping / OldrivalShipping / ShootsDownShipping / ETC._


	5. Leaf, Shigeru, and the Breakdance Battle

_A/N: This is a little note to announce that it's not going to be a Winter Solstice Ball. It's going to be a Hanami Festival and the dance is called Spring Hanami Ball. I'll explain what it is on later chapter. _

_Note: Shigeru/Gary, Kantou/Kanto_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****5****:**** Leaf, Shigeru, and the Breakdance Battle**

The five friends exited Lovely Togekiss with at least two bags with them. Leaf went to a store to buy a plastic megaphone, leaving her friends clueless. After a little snack and wandering around a bit, they went out of the mall. It already felt like all of them were best friends already!

"So Leaf, when is your next battle with your rival?" Hikari asked. "Actually, who is your rival?"

The bubbly brunette smiled, putting on her new hat. "My rival is none other than the Prince of Kantou, Shigeru!" She saw the shocked look on Hikari's face. "What's wrong, Hikari?"

Hikari blinked. "It's just that…" she lowered her voice, her eyes darting back and forth. "… Prince Reiji is going to have tea with the Prince of Kantou today."

Leaf nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about that. Just be by the Tobari Square by two." She winked at Hikari. "So… how is being Shinji's maid? Is it fun?"

"Um… I just became his maid, so I don't really know if it's fun yet."

"Ah!" Haruka exclaimed. "She said that she doesn't know _yet_!" She slid her arm around Hikari's neck, smiling coyly. "So you're saying that you're going to find it fun and interesting later on?"

Nozomi laughed. "No way, you're the actual Prince Shinji's maid?" She patted Hikari's back. "That is gold!"

They talked about anything related to royalty in quiet voices. If they were caught, every girl around them will probably cause a commotion and send them into hysteria. Moreover, who knew how much trouble Hikari could've gone through?

~.~.~

Hikari's Pokétch started to beep. She looked at the time. "Oh no, it's 12 already?" She hung her shopping bags on her shoulders. "Sorry, everyone! I promised him that I'd meet him back there!" She turned to Leaf. "I'll be there to your battle and it was nice meeting you!" Then, she turned to Nozomi. "It was great seeing you again, Nozomi!"

"Bye!" They waved Hikari goodbye as she ran back to Tobari Palace.

She quickly arrived to Tobari Palace and changed into her maid uniform. As she made her way to Shinji's room, she spotted him in front of the garden. "…Huh?" Hikari descended the stairs and opened the glass door. "Master Shinji, what are you doing here?"

Shinji didn't turn to look. "How was your morning?"

"It was great!" Hikari exclaimed. "I met my best friend and a new friend!" She remembered Leaf telling her about the breakdance battle. "Ah! Master Shinji, my friend Leaf invited me to a breakdance battle between her and the Prince of Kantou. Do you want to watch it with me?" There was no reply. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Actually, that's why I wanted you to dress as Hikaru today after my lessons." Shinji turned around with a slightly raised brow. "That girl, Leaf, invited me to watch their battle too."

Hikari grinned. "Yes!" She stepped outside, soaking in the warm sunlight. "Let me ask you something. Do you want me to dress as Hikaru or just me from now on?"

"I prefer Hikaru."

"… Why?" She felt that she was going to get angry at his reply.

"Because Hikaru is much brighter than you," he joked. He shrugged, smirking at Hikari's frustrated expression. "Hn."

"You're not funny, Master Shinji." She took a seat by a few tulips, admiring it. Little did she realize that Shinji had sat next to her. When she did, she squeaked in fright. "Geez, you're like a ninja or something…" She went back to admiring other flower. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Shinji raised a brow. "What?"

"What's your…" she turned red as she paused, "your… ideal girl?" Hikari dug her head in her knees, embarrassed. "Actually, scratch that… Don't answer it." She bit her tongue, hoping that he wouldn't answer.

"Good." Shinji glanced at her. "Because I don't really know what I want in a girl." He blew a strand of his hair away from his eyes. "By the way, lunch is 12:30."

Hikari nodded, looking back up again. "Yes, sir." She perched her elbow on her knees and leaned her cheek on her hand. She smiled at the beauty of the garden. "You're so lucky to have such a colorful garden, you know?" She giggled. "It's so peaceful and quiet. It's like the moment you look at it will calm you down."

"Is that so?" Shinji questioned, looking at the whole garden. "Yeah, I guess you could be right." He looked at her Pokétch. "Hey, what time is it?"

"Huh? Oh." She clicked a button that displayed the time. "It's almost lunch time. It's 12:20."

Shinji stood up. "Then let's go." He walked back in the palace with Hikari following behind him. "You don't mind eating with Aniki and me, right? This is your first time, after all."

"Of course I won't mind!" she replied. "It's an honor to have lunch with Prince Reiji and you, Master Shinji."

"Looks like you're getting used to addressing me like that," Shinji murmured. "You're going to have to get used to calling me 'Shiro'."

"I know, Shiro." Hikari's eyes widened as she realized what she just called him. "Oops… Sorry about that…" She only received a grunt from him. They arrived to the dining hall, where lunch was being prepared by Takeshi. "So what's for lunch, Takeshi-San?"

Takeshi looked up to see Hikari and Shinji. "Ah, Hikari! Shinji! You're early today!" He rested his hands on the handle of his cart of food. "Today's menu is rice, miso soup, chicken cutlet, assorted tempura, egg rolls, and gyoza dumplings." He distributed the last pair of chopsticks and placed the last dish on the table. "Lunch is served."

On cue, Reiji entered with none other than the Prince of Kantou, Shigeru! "Ah! Takeshi-San, your cooking smells delightful!" Reiji complimented. "Shigeru-Kun, you must be hungry. Please make yourself at home."

Shigeru was a brown-haired prince with green eyes. His hair spiked up to his left and wore a crystal necklace. His clothes were quite extraordinary. "Thanks for your kindness, Prince Reiji." He took a look at Shinji and Hikari. "Ah, what's up, Shinji? Long time no see, eh?"

Shinji bowed. "Hello, Prince Shigeru. Long time no see."

"So who's your maid?"

Hikari also bowed. "My name is Hikari. I'm much honored to meet the Prince of Kantou!"

"I'm Shigeru, the Prince of Kantou. 16 years old." He took a bow. "I'm very happy to meet Shinji's new maid!" He then turned to Shinji. "So when did you hire her?"

"2 days ago." Shinji crossed his arms, smirking. "She's not your typical maid, though"

Shigeru raised a brow, examining the maid before him. "Is she? How so?" Why did he have to ask that? Hikari prepared herself for any insults.

Shinji glanced at Hikari. "… I'd rather not."

"How come?"

"I'm sure I'm going to get hurt again." He sat down, not wanting to think about what Hikari will do this time. He saw Hikari still standing up, fiddling with her uniform. "You sit down too."

Hikari looked up, sweatdropping. "O-oh, uh…" She nervously sat on a chair near Shinji. "O-okay…" She quietly sat on a seat beside Shinji and waited until everyone else began to eat. Then she started to eat.

"Hikari, was it?" Shigeru asked. When the blunette nodded, he raised his brows in interest. "You know, your table manners are excellent! How did you know that maids and other people eat after we do?"

She blinked in confusion. "Oh, you do?" She scratched her head. "Well, I don't know. I just felt like it was right." She laughed nervously.

Reiji chuckled. "Hikari-Kun is quite amazing with what she does, Shigeru-Kun. Her personality is quite refreshing… especially for Shinji."

Shigeru laughed. "Oh really?" He sipped his cup of water. "How so?"

"Her personality is the complete opposite of the other girls we have to face," Shinji replied. "She's not a crazy, obsessed fangirl."

"Oh, what a nice way to call the girls who admire you," Hikari sneered. "I'm sure they would _love_ to be called that." She rolled her eyes as she sipped her miso soup.

The rest of their time for lunch was listening to Shinji and Hikari argue again. Reiji and Shigeru laughed at how energetic the blue-haired maid was. Now the Prince of Kantou knew what they meant by 'complete opposite'.

~.~.~

Hikari wore her Hikaru disguise and knocked on Shinji's door. "Yo, Shiro! You ready?"

The door opened and Shinji appeared in a new outfit. He was wearing a purple V-neck and black pants. Of course, his trademark cap was hiding his hair. "I'm coming, I'm coming…" Sighing, he tucked in the last few strands of his hair. "Does Shigeru-San even know about this?"

"Huh, now that I think about it…" She recalled Shigeru not wearing casual clothes. "He wasn't wearing clothes that were fit to breakdance…" She gasped, pounding her fist into her hand in realization. "Oh! I know what Leaf is planning to do!"

Shinji cocked a brow, staring at the now excited Hikari. "Again… you're strange…"

She jumped up and down, grabbing Shinji's wrist. "Come on, let's go! It's almost time!" They climbed over the tall vine-covered gate and rushed to Tobari Square.

"Okay, you can let go of me!" Hikari released his hand and he ran beside her. "What are you thinking of, anyways?"

"You'll see!"

They soon arrived to the square and Leaf was at the center. Kasumi, Haruka, and Nozomi were standing along the sidelines, watching the bubbly brunette take her newly-bought megaphone out. A crowd had gathered because of a little secretive 'advertising' and curiosity. Hikari dragged the quietly protesting Shinji over.

"Hi, everyone!"

Kasumi and Haruka waved while Nozomi looked at her confusingly. "Hikari?"

"Shh!" Hikari put her finger to her lips. "Yes, it's me. But remember that I go by Hikaru!"

Nozomi nodded, smiling. "So, uh, who's that guy, Hikaru?"

Shinji scowled, annoyed with this situation.

"This is my friend, Shiro," she introduced. "He's… not exactly your bright and energetic kind of guy…"

"Ha ha, very funny…" he remarked. "So what did you mean by you knew what Leaf was planning?"

Leaf stood on a wooden box, holding the megaphone close to her mouth. "Ladies and gentlemen! May I introduce a little breakdance battle between me and the Prince of Kantou, Shigeru!"

The girls in the crowd went wild at the name. Shigeru was well-known among the girls in Shinou too. He was not only a prince, but also a researcher. But the brown-haired prince was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's Shigeru?" "Yeah! Where is he?"

The brunette winked, grinning. She inhaled deeply and held the megaphone to her lips. "_Shigeru! Come on out! I challenge you to a breakdance battle!"_ After a moment of silence, she smirked. _"What's wrong, Shigeru? Are you scared that a girl is going to beat ya?"_

The guys cheered and 'oh'ed at the remark. The girls also joined in. Then, a girl in the back squealed. "It's Shigeru!" The girls in the crowd squealed and cheered for their brown-haired prince.

Shigeru passed through the crowd, wearing the extraordinary clothes. He crossed his arms, raising a brow at his rival. "So… Leaf… this is what you were planning?"

"That's right!" Leaf placed her hands on her hips. "It was going to be a little surprise for ya, but…" She pursed her lips together, shaking her head. "You can't dance in those clothes, can you?" She scoffed smugly. "It seems like I'll win this battle."

"Not so fast, Leaf…" Shigeru, as if by magic, changed and a pair of clothes fit for breakdancing was already on him. "I had a feeling you were going to do something like this, so I got prepared."

Leaf rolled her eyes. "But what if I didn't do something like this?"

"Then I'd be bored out of my mind and do something to embarrass you. What else?" he joked.

She stepped down the box and circled Shigeru. "Yeah like that'll happen!" She pointed to Kasumi. "Hit it!" Kasumi hit the play button and a song began to play. "Let the battle begin!"

Shigeru smirked. "Ladies first, right?"

She sneered at him before doing her set. She did Apache Step, 4 Corners, and then a Hip Twist. She approached him and flicked his forehead and did a back flip to her original position. The crowd did another 'ooh'. She began a 3 Step, a 6 Step, and then another 3 Step. Finally, she ended with a regular windmill. She hopped back up, crossing her arms. "Simple, but I added my own little leaf into it."

"Sure, sure…" Shigeru did a little twist before doing Apache Step, Salsa Step, and then a Side Step. He smirked as he approached Leaf. "Prepare to get owned, Leaf." He pressed her new cap down to cover her face. The crowd gasped when they saw how red she got. He hopped back and did a 6, 12, and then 6 Step. He ended with a head spin. "What do ya gotta say now, huh, Leaf?"

Rolling her eyes, she gained up to Shigeru. "Listen, _Prince_ of Kantou…" She stuck a finger at his chest and slightly pushed him. "You might've won those battles before, but I'm going to win this one this time!"

"Whatever you say, little Leaf."

The battle had gone on for twenty minutes and the battle was already coming to an end. Leaf was getting exhausted, but she refused to give up and let Shigeru take the victory again.

However, the exhaustion caught up to her. She slipped and fell on the hard cement on her back. "Ow!" The crowd gasped in concern.

"Oh my gosh!" Haruka was horror-stricken. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…!" She sat up, shaking her head to clear the blurriness. "Don't worry! I get hurt like this all the time." She got up, looking fine. "I'm probably gonna have a bruise on my back though." Leaf rubbed her aching back and turned to Shigeru. She sighed, smiling in defeat. "You win again, Shigeru."

"You okay?"

Leaf nodded. "Yeah. My back will be fine."

Shigeru smirked. "I was talking about you. Not your back."

"Dude, you know I'm okay." Leaf punched his arm playfully. "This is nothing."

"Alright, alright."

"Shigeru the Prince of Kantou is the winner!" She announced, holding his arm up. The crowd went wild with cheers and whooping. Kasumi, Haruka, Nozomi, Hikari, and Shinji applauded for their hard work and battle.

It was a great afternoon for everyone, even for Shinji and Shigeru. The two boys had decided to join them around Tobari City with a _disguise_ for Shigeru.

~.~.~

It was dusk when Kasumi, Haruka, Hikari, and Shinji returned to Tobari Palace. They were fortunate enough not to attract a crowd to follow them when Shigeru was exposed. He had to carry Leaf and run back to their home in the outskirts of Tobari City. Hopefully, they made it without the mob of crazed fangirls.

"Sheesh… I guess it was Prince Shigeru's first time in a disguise…"

Kasumi laughed, shaking her head. "No, Shigeru has been in a disguise before. He just hasn't seen how the girls of Shinou can go." Hikari stared at her as if she spoke in another language. "Oh, oops… Sorry I haven't told you two before. You see, I used to travel with a friend of mine. He was also Shigeru's rival and friend since childhood."

Haruka nodded, smiling. "Yeah… He was quite an odd person. He's the same age as Kasumi. I was also his traveling partner too." She shrugged. "He loved to travel and… who knows? He might be on a little trip in Shinou somewhere."

Shinji took his cap off, revealing his plum-colored hair. "He is."

"He is?" Kasumi immediately asked. "Are you serious? Satoshi is actually in Shinou?"

"Yeah. Shigeru-San told me earlier – while you girls were talking about clothes – that he saw Satoshi on his way here." He reached into his pocket, taking out a folded piece of paper. "Speak of Satoshi, Shigeru-San told me that the guy gave him a note to give to you."

Kasumi took the paper and unfolded it.

"What does it say, Kasumi?"

_Hiya, Kasu!_

_Long time no see, huh? It's been a while since we saw each other. I miss seeing that carrot top of yours. xDD_

_Well, I heard from Shigeru that you were the HEAD MAID for the princes in Shinou! When I heard that, I decided to travel there. _

_I wanted to see you again. :P_

_How's Haruka? Tell her 'hi' for me!_

_I'll see you later, Kasu!_

_-Satoshi-_

Haruka squealed. "Aww… He called you 'Kasu'!"

Hikari giggled. "Although I don't really know who Satoshi-San is-"

"No! No!" The two girls exclaimed. "You do NOT call Satoshi with honorifics like that!" They exhaled from the shock.

"Satoshi may be older than you, Hikari," the brunette started.

"But he must _never_ be called with those honorifics!"

Hikari nodded. "Okay, okay!" She blinked, not knowing what just happened. "Anyways… Although I don't know him, it's so cute that he said that he misses you!"

A faint pink colored Kasumi's cheeks. "O-oh, is that what that means?" She looked at the note and turned red. "Um… I-I see…"

Shinji rolled his eyes and went up ahead to his room. He did _not_ want to hear another conversation about Satoshi or any other guy from girls. Apparently, six long conversations of talking about clothes, guys, and make-up didn't satisfy them. Five were beyond enough for Shinji.

~.~.~

After dinner, it was another dance lesson for Hikari and Shinji. She did just a _little_ bit better than the first day.

"Hikari, you _have_ to be closer to him!" Kasumi groaned. Yes, she came to help because Hikari was having troubles.

When her body refused to make contact with Shinji's, all the prince had to do was slightly pull her towards him. It didn't take much just to get her to _freeze_ in that position.

Hikari was getting better… "Whoa!" … by the hour… She tripped on Shinji's foot and fell face-flat again. "Ow…" She sat up, sighing. "I'm never going to get my dancing right…"

Haruka helped her up. "Come on, Hikari! You can do it!" she cheered. "Besides, we have plenty of time! The Hanami Festival is going to be in a few months after all." She shrugged, smiling. "You'll have enough time to get your dancing straight."

"I guess…"

Kasumi laughed. "You should've seen how long it took Shigeru to get his straight."

"How-?"

"One whole year!" The carrot top held one finger, smirking. "Who would've thought that the _great_ Prince of Kantou mastered his ballroom dancing in one year?"

Hikari groaned. "Yeah, but I think I'm probably going to need more than one year of practicing!"

Shinji just wanted to smack himself from hearing how many complaints the blunette had. "Hey, he was much clumsier before. You're actually better than him when he just started like you." He shook his head, remembering how horrible Shigeru was. "I mean, who steps on their teacher or partner ten times in one minute?"

"Um… Wouldn't that be me too?"

"What?" Kasumi scoffed. "You're _much_ better than him. I was his partner and my feet got _so_ many bruises in one night!" She tapped her heel subconsciously. "Sometimes I remember the pain and I suddenly feel stinging there…" She shuddered. "And by the way, that one night was _not_ his first night."

Everyone sweatdropped. "Is that so…?"

After the lesson was over, they went back to their rooms to go to sleep. Hikari changed to the new pink nightgown she bought today at the mall. It had a white collar and extended to her knees. She combed down her long and silky blue hair and placed her golden pins on top of the drawers.

Then, a knock was heard from her wall.

She sighed, knowing it was Shinji. "Coming." She hurried over to his room. "So do you want me to stay here until you fall asleep again?"

Shinji shook his head. "Not tonight." He gazed out the window where the stars were twinkling beautifully. "Remember this afternoon when you asked me what my ideal girl is?"

"Oh no, please don't answer that!" Hikari begged. "Don't answer it, Master Shinji!"

He raised a brow. "Why?"

"I feel like I'm going to look stupid and feel guilty if you answer it!" She clasped her hands together. "Just don't answer it, please?"

Shinji smirked, rolling his eyes. "I wasn't planning to answer it." He glanced at the confused maid. "I was going to _ask_ why you asked me that."

Hikari blinked, tapping her lip with her finger. "Huh… Now that I think about it…" She poked her forehead blankly. "Why did I ask you that?" Her brows furrowed in deep thought. "I'm sorry, Master Shinji. I can't remember why I asked you that…" She bowed. "Please forgive me."

"Hn." He turned to Hikari. "You know what? Just stay here until I fall asleep."

"… Grr…" Her eye twitched in annoyance. "You're enjoying this, aren't you…?"

"Pretty much, yes."

~.~.~

_A/N: Okay, so the rest of the chapters are going to star Kasumi, Haruka, and Nozomi. They might be going in random orders, so watch for it! :) I know this isn't much, but I tried. ^^" Please tell me if you spotted any mistakes! O^O_

_Please read my Christmas one-shot: __3 Christmas Twilights__  
Mainly starring Shinji! (Yes, it IS IkariShipping in the end. xDD) _

_Also, read __Mystique__, a story where Shinji has been turned into something he never expected. What happens afterwards is something he also never expected and thought was impossible. _

_Tobari Shinobi: Shinou Scandal__ is another story you should read. It's been released recently, but I'm just saying… ^^"_


	6. Satoshi and Kasu

_A/N: This chapter is in Kasumi's point-of-view. Enjoy!_

_Note: Matoma Berry/Tamato Berry, Jun/Barry, Kengo/Kenny_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****6****:**** Satoshi and Kasu**

It's been a few weeks since Satoshi stayed in Tobari City. He's been visiting us for quite a while too. It was… quite strange when Shinji and Satoshi met. I mean… sure Satoshi _is_ the same age as me and all, but boy, it's like they already became rivals.

The question is… For _what_ exactly did they become rivals for? Boys… I can't understand them…

I sighed as I recalled those weeks. "Geez… Satoshi can be such a handful sometimes." I made my way to the calendar, just checking to see what day it was. My eyes widened as I looked at the day that was to come in exactly a week…

Valentine's Day.

~.~.~

_**Day 1…**_

"So, Kasumi…" Hikari hummed. "Are you going to give Satoshi chocolates?"

I nearly spit out my drink from the question. "W-w-w-what?" I swore my face turned as red as a Matoma Berry! "What are you talking about, Hikari?"

They all giggled. "I mean, are you going to give Satoshi any chocolates for Valentine's Day?"

"Oh! Hmmm…" I tapped my chin. "I'm not sure… I'm sure he'll be happy to get chocolates, but…" I sighed, as I shrugged. "He probably won't get my message, considering how thick-headed he can be, you know?"

Leaf laughed. "Haha, I know!" She shook her head smugly. "Remember that time when I _attempted_ to ask Satoshi about how he feels about you?"

"Oh?" Nozomi raised her brows. "You did? Do tell!"

"Why'd you bring that up, Leaf?" I complained. "You promised not to bring that up ever again!"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled. "It's just that… I can't really forget what he said that day." Leaf rubbed the back of her head, slightly blushing. "It's not like it was bad or anything. In fact, it was a really good response." She crossed her arms, probably recalling that day. "I never thought he would be so serious."

"Oh my gosh, what did he say?" Haruka eagerly asked.

_**Flashback…**_

"_Hey Satoshi!" Leaf called out._

_The raven-haired boy slightly arched his neck to see who was calling him. "Leaf?" He turned around to her. "What's up?"_

_Leaf just decided to be blunt with it. "Do you like anyone?"_

_Satoshi blinked from surprise, obviously caught off-guard from the question. "Um… you okay, Leaf?"_

"_Yeah, but seriously…" She crossed her arms. "Do you like anyone…? Maybe a certain carrot top?"_

"_Carrot tops?" He tapped his chin. "Well, I do like carrots."_

_She did a facepalm. "Uh, no… That's not really what I meant, Satoshi." She slightly laughed nervously. "I meant, do you like any girls? A girl with orange hair and green eyes, by any chance?"_

_Satoshi sighed, crossing his arms. "Leaf, I don't really know the person you're getting at, but…" He shrugged. "This is something that only I have to deal with. I'll go to the girl I like and confess someday." With that, he left, shoving his hands in his pockets._

_Leaf was astounded by his sudden change of mood. She never saw him that serious before._

_**End of Flashback…**_

Leaf pouted, crossing her arms. "I kinda felt scared at how serious he was about it…"

After a few minutes of awkward silence, I brought up another topic. "So what about you guys? Surely you also have guys you want to give chocolate to." Jackpot. Right there, everyone–well, almost everyone–turned red. "Aha! Haruka, Leaf, and Nozomi! Who's your guy?"

Haruka shifted uncomfortably in her seat; Leaf averted her gaze somewhere else; Nozomi just propped her elbow on the table and leaned on her hand.

"We don't want to tell you…" Haruka muttered under her breath.

Hikari poked Nozomi's chin. "C'mon, Nozomi! Who's your guy?"

"Oh, knock it off, Hikari!" she exclaimed, turning redder. "It's nothing for you to worry about…"

Leaf nodded firmly. "I'm going along with Nozomi's reply!" She crossed her arms, puffing her cheeks out. "You're not gonna make us talk!"

An idea began to form in my head. It was unfortunate for them that Leaf told me about Hikari's ability. I whispered to Hikari, "Why don't we say random names and you can look at their body movements?"

She gasped. "Good idea!" We both smirked at the clueless girls. "Let's take Leaf out first!"

I already knew this one. "Shigeru." Hikari looked at Leaf and nearly squealed. "No way! Who knew you would've liked him that way?"

"Sh-shut up, Kasumi…" Her cheeks turned bright pink. "I-it's not like I'm going to confess to him or anything…"

One down, two left…

Hikari glanced at Haruka, smiling. She crossed her arms, pretending to think. "Hmmm… judging by what Haruka tells me sometimes… I'd say Shuu-San." I didn't even need Hikari to depict her, because she turned so red! "No offense, Haruka, but it's kinda obvious."

Haruka pouted, looking somewhere else. "Whatever. I'm not too embarrassed to give him Valentine's Day chocolates, though."

Two down, one left. Now Nozomi was a tough one. Hikari had to go over so many guys that Nozomi and she knows!

"Jun!" No reaction.

"Shinji?" A small shudder. Definitely NOT Shinji.

"Naoshi-San?" No reaction.

"… Kengo!" Uh-oh. Big trouble. Apparently, Hikari saw Nozomi's eye twitch at the name. "Oh my gosh, this is gold!" she squealed. "You really like Kengo? He's my childhood friend!"

Nozomi slightly sweatdropped, blushing. "You're not mad, right?"

"Mad?" Hikari repeated. "Of course I'm not! I think that's adorable!" Her eyes gleamed brightly as Nozomi tried to brush the conversation off.

"What about you, Hikari?" I asked. "Don't you have any guy you want to give any chocolates to?"

It was like everyone forgot about what happened and focused on Hikari. However, she didn't react with a blush at all. She simply shook her head. I wondered if she was hiding something, but then again, she's usually honest.

Hikari laughed nervously. "Truthfully, I don't have anyone to give chocolates to. Sure, I'd like to give my friends and family Giri Chocolate*, but if it's Honmei*, I honestly don't have anyone to give them to."

Leaf whined. "Aww, you don't love anyone? What about Shinji?"

The blunette rolled her eyes, obviously pissed about their recent argument. "Hell no. I'd rather fall and rot in a pit than love that stupid excuse of a prince." She sipped her drink again, ignoring our reactions to her reply. Wow, I have _never_ ever heard _any_ girl insult Shinji like that before. Phew, it's actually quite refreshing to hear that…

I mean… Would you like to hear every girl around you squeal about Shinji _every day_? I don't think so.

~.~.~

_**Day 2…**_

Satoshi and I were strolling along the outskirts of the city, gazing at the scenery. "Hey, Satoshi?"

"Yeah?" His chocolate brown eyes turned to me. "What is it?"

How can I put this…? It was hard to ask. "Do you… h-have any girls you want to give Honmei Choco to?" Not exactly my original question, but it was close. I slightly blushed, shaking my head. "Actually, you don't need to answer that. It's probably none of my business to know-"

"Actually, yeah…" he replied. "There's only one girl in Shinou I want to give Honmei Choco to." A small smile graced his features. He looked so… different. "And I wouldn't really say it's none of your business, though."

"Huh? Why?"

"You're involved after all…"

My heart fluttered at his reply. But I couldn't tell what the reply meant. I would push further into the topic, but judging by what Leaf told me earlier, it'd be best not to get on his serious side.

I took a quick glance at him, only to see him smiling at me! I turned pink. "U-um… I see…" I really wish I could know what he meant by that! Maybe it really is a good thing for him to be thick-headed in situations like this. He can't tell I'm blushing and he can't tell that I don't know what he means by that.

The rest of the day wasn't much of a good day. After all, I was too anxious to know who he'll give Honmei Choco to. I couldn't enjoy our little stroll…

~.~.~

_**Day 3…**_

Sadly, Day 3 was a bust… There was nothing to do that day. Satoshi had to go visit his mother back at Kantou, Leaf had to help Shigeru with his research, Nozomi had to take care of some business at her hometown, and Haruka went to visit her parents in Houen.

Sumomo, Hikari, and I were the only ones who weren't busy that day. We just decided go to the Tobari Palace Gardens and rested there.

I asked why Sumomo wasn't with Tobari Acrobatics and Magic. She told me that she gave them a break today. They were working hard on making their routines for the Hanami Festival.

Hikari was still avoiding Shinji because of that argument they had a few days ago. I wonder if Shinji was feeling a little lonely without her. He always did enjoy messing with her…

As for me, I was still anxious about Satoshi. I _really_ wanted to know who he was going to give those Choco too. I-it's not like I wished it was me, but I'm just really curious.

~.~.~

_**Day 4…**_

"Kasumi! Wake up, Kasumi!" Haruka shook me awake. "Kasumi!"

"Mmf, whaaaat?" I drawled. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "What is it, Haruka?"

Haruka's blue eyes were gleaming so excitedly. "It's Hikari! Come on! We have to go to the kitchen!" She dragged me out of my bed to the kitchen. I half dragged myself and half ran. I don't know why she was so excited! It must be good news! With that thought in mind, I began to run faster.

"What's going on? What happened?"

We arrived to the door of the kitchen, where it was slightly cracked open. She pointed in there, grinning.

Puzzled, I looked into the crack and saw Hikari! I scanned the room to see if Takeshi was there. Sure enough, he was making breakfast. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Small bowls of melted chocolate were lined up in front of Hikari! There was dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry chocolate!

"She made all that?" I whispered to Haruka. "Wait, how long were you standing here?"

"I was here since Hikari woke up," she whispered back. She looked at the clock and sweatdropped. "… which was about two hours ago…"

I blinked. "You were here since four AM?"

Haruka nodded, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry… I just got really curious. I heard faint whispering outside my door and saw Hikari and Takeshi-San talking." I can only guess that she followed them to the kitchen.

We looked back into the kitchen and watched Hikari test her chocolates. She showed good reactions to each.

"Perfect!" she squealed. "Takeshi-San, I'm done!"

Takeshi stepped away from his pots and also tasted the chocolates. "Mm, these are delicious, Hikari!" He gave her a thumbs-up. "So who are these Choco for? Is one of them Honmei Choco?"

Hikari giggled. "No, none of these are Honmei Choco, Takeshi-San." She got small baking cups and took out decorations. "These are just chocolates I want to give to everyone: Kasumi, Haruka, Leaf, Nozomi, Tobari Acrobatics and Magic, you, Reiji-san…" She paused, a pure-hearted smile forming on her face. "… even Shinji."

Both of us stepped away from the door. "Did you see that smile? It was so… so…"

"Cute? Genuine? Pure-hearted? I agree with you." Haruka nodded.

"You don't suppose she has feelings for him, do you?"

Haruka shook her head. "No way… They wouldn't be arguing so seriously if she did." She looked back at the kitchen then smiled. "She probably must be thinking that she owes Shinji-San a lot of thanks."

I also smiled, agreeing. "After all, if he hadn't offered her to stay here, our friendship and bonds would cease to exist." We sighed, admiring how passionate Hikari was about this. "I wish I can ask her to teach me how to make homemade chocolates…"

"You can, Kasumi!" Hikari's voice sounded next to me. Haruka and I nearly shrieked from surprise. "I knew you were there this whole time. It's too bad I spilled the beans, huh?" She giggled. "Come on, I'll show you how to make them."

Haruka and I looked at each other and then to Hikari.

"If you want to make some too, I can teach you, Haruka."

"R-really? You'd really do that?" she asked. When Hikari nodded, she hugged the life out of the blunette. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much!"

That day, we worked on making chocolates. I was surprised that Takeshi didn't mind when I invited Leaf and Nozomi over. There were a few accidents, but all was good. In the end, we all made delicious chocolates to share with everyone. Altogether, it was enough to give out to everyone in Tobari Palace.

I had a feeling that the chocolate Hikari made wasn't the ones she was going to make on Valentine's Day.

When everyone got their chocolates, only Shinji was left. Unfortunately, all of our chocolates were gone – except Hikari's. She slightly stiffened up, probably recalling their latest argument.

"I'm not sure if he'll accept them," she muttered. "He's probably still angry at me…"

I shook my head, placing my hand on Hikari. "I don't think he is, Hikari. Why don't you give them to him? He might want to have a taste of those chocolates you made."

Hikari shook her head. "No, I can't give these to him… not yet…" She sighed and walked into her room. We looked at each other worriedly. Was their argument so bad that she still thought he was angry at her?

We all sighed.

~.~.~

_**Day 5…**_

"Kasu!" A familiar voice called out my nickname. Actually, the only person who would call me by that is…

"Hi, Satoshi," I greeted. I gave him a smile and continued walking. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Dunno. I just wanted to see you." Satoshi gave me that goofy grin of his, which made me blush. He always looked cute when he grinned like that. "So what are you doing?"

"Just walking around." I felt like my legs stiffened up as I talked to him. "The weather's nice today, isn't it?"

Satoshi looked up at the sky, where there was no cloud to be found. "Totally. It's a great day to go out and stroll around for a while." He laughed. "Hey, that's what we're doing!"

I rolled my eyes smugly. He can be so thick-headed sometimes.

"So uh, Kasu…"

"Hm?"

"Do you have anything in plan for Valentine's Day?"

I fell over, caught off-guard. "W-what do you mean, Satoshi…?" Is this a dream? I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming this. _Ow…_ Nope, this isn't a dream!

"Well, I'm just asking if you're doing anything that day."

"Not really, no." I haven't made any plans that day. Well, maybe give Satoshi Honmei Choco, but he probably would never get the message… "Why?"

Satoshi grinned. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me that day!"

I was silent, trying to process his words. Once I did, my face turned hot! "W-w-wait, go out as in…?"

He groaned. "Are you this dense?" A vein popped in my forehead, but it disappeared after he said, "I meant, let's go out on a date!"

My jaw hung open. It was as if the whole world had stopped in time. Okay, this MUST be a dream! Satoshi would never say such a thing! But why do I feel pain as I pull my cheek? This has got to be a dream, this has got to be a dream, this has got to be a dream! What the Kantou is going on?

"Satoshi… Are you okay?" I slowly asked. I felt his forehead, but it wasn't hot. "You're not hyper from too much sugar, are you?"

"Kasu, what are you talking about?" he asked, smiling. "I didn't have many sweets today, so I'm not hyper at all. Are you okay though? Your face is red…"

I slapped my cheeks, suppressing my blush. "I'm totally fine! B-but why did you ask me for a date?" Crap, I stuttered.

Satoshi rubbed the back of his head, smiling lopsidedly. He shrugged. "I just heard that you might be alone on Valentine's Day, so I thought you might want to go somewhere with me."

Aww… He cares about me! N-no, wait! This is not the right time to think about that! But Satoshi was right.

Haruka was going to Houen to visit Shuu. Leaf was going to Shigeru's house in Shinou. Nozomi was going to Futaba Town to see Kengo. Hikari couldn't go because she made plans that day. Of course, Shinji wouldn't want to hang out with me… I wouldn't either.

"Oh, you did?" I smiled as a blush coated my cheeks. "Gee, that's really sweet of you, Satoshi." I nodded happily. "I'd be glad to go on the d-date with you." Apparently, I was still not used to him asking me out.

"Great!" He clasped his hands. "I'll come pick you up, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay." For once, he wasn't so thick-headed.

Who knew Satoshi was this gentlemanly and sweet?

~.~.~

_**Day 6…**_

I was still happy from yesterday. I had nothing to worry about now. Even the Honmei wasn't worrying me! Everyone else seemed to be satisfied with their Valentine's Day plans.

However, when I saw that Hikari was still sulking, I decided that it was time that those two make up already!

I woke up early with Haruka this morning and phoned Shinji's tutors. "Hi, I called you in place of Shinji-Sama to tell you that you won't have to teach Shinji-Sama for today." After a few seconds, I smiled. "Well, it _is_ Valentine's Day tomorrow. You all must be married or have someone special, right?" I sweatdropped at one or two replies. "I'm sorry to notify you so late and thank you so much!"

"Hey, looks like Hikari's making chocolates again," Haruka notified. "They're probably for tomorrow."

"Do you still remember our plan?"

"Of course! I still can't believe this plan extends until the _night_ of Valentine's Day." she murmured. "By the way, she prepared bags for everyone, including Shinji-San."

I raised a brow. "How did you find out?"

She stuck out her tongue. "I went in the kitchen to watch her make chocolate and I read the tags." Her cerulean eyes sparkled with joy. "Hikari is just so adorable!"

"Well, since you found that out, this will be easier." We walked into the kitchen and took out our chocolate supplies. We had to make our own chocolates for Valentine's Day too. Hikari put her bags on the counter across her. We worked on different tables in the kitchen. You wouldn't believe how big this place was…

In an hour, Hikari seemed to be done with her chocolates while Haruka and I were still waiting for chocolates to freeze. Unfortunately, we couldn't see how she designed her chocolate.

She placed the bags of chocolate in the refrigerator and cleaned up. While we were waiting for our chocolates to freeze, we talked.

"So who are you giving that huge bag for?"

Hikari smiled. "These are for Tobari Acrobatics and Magic. I couldn't really fit all of their names into the tag, so I just put their group name." She giggled, propping her arms on the kitchen counter. "Besides, they're the reason I decided to come to Tobari City."

"And Shinji-San is the reason you're here in Tobari Palace!" Haruka chimed.

The blunette nodded, but her expression seemed a bit painful. "That's right."

I leaned my cheek on my hand. "Are you still sulking about that night?" I can't believe that she still can't get over that argument! What was it about anyways?

Her expression told us everything. "Sometimes, I don't get how one thing can get us into an argument…" She pouted. "I said a lot of harsh things to him, too…" She groaned, rubbing the back of her head. "But that doesn't mean he didn't say harsh things to me too!" Her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Geez, I can't tell who's causing the pain to whom sometimes!"

But I could tell that it was both who were in pain this time. Shinji usually teases Hikari, but for the past week, he didn't make any remarks. As for Hikari, she'd call him 'Shiro' once in a while, but for now, it was no names – not even 'Master Shinji'.

That was when my plan came to mind. They should make up by Valentine's Day and I will ensure it! Besides, I can't stand not hearing their heated arguments every day. It's always something for them and us to enjoy. I just never thought that one of the fights would turn this bad.

Soon, Haruka and my chocolates were done freezing and we got to decorating them. I decorated mine with nuts and white chocolate shavings. Haruka decorated hers with stars and flowers.

We were done in a few minutes after wrapping them. We put ours on separate shelves in the refrigerator and exited the kitchen.

I hope tomorrow goes well…

~.~.~

_**Day 7/Valentine's Day…**_

Well, today was the _best_ Valentine's Day ever! Satoshi and my date is a whole different story for another time.

All I can say is that… Those Honmei Choco weren't for "me, the one who's always violent and hits Satoshi".

Satoshi's Honmei Choco was for "the tomboy carrot top that I've loved since our travels together". The chocolates were for me. How sweeter can he get? I think I nearly fainted when he told me that straight out!

I'm at a loss for words today. I'll tell this story for another time, I promise.

It's impossible for me to forget to tell this. After all… I confessed to him today with this in return.

"I love you too, Kasumi." Satoshi hugged me, giving me that goofy grin of his.

You mushy, thick-headed, and unpredictable idiot…

~.~.~

_A/N: Just like Kasumi promised, I promise to tell you her date with Satoshi some other time. Maybe in a different fanfic. :3_

_Here are some questions for you:_

_**What do you think happened with Hikari and her Valentine's Day?  
How was Kasumi's side of the week before Valentine's?  
What kind of chocolate do you think Hikari made?  
How do you think Haruka and Nozomi's Valentine's Day went?**_

**Asterisks***

Giri Choco – These are obligation chocolates, commonly given to guys whom the girl have no romantic relationship with. These are usually sold cheap. But if you want to make them yourself, that's great! It shows your gratitude for them! ^^

Honmei Choco – These are chocolates given to guys whom the girl have romantic feelings for. Of course, you give these to your boyfriend or husband. They're more expensive to buy than Giri Choco. However, _homemade_ Honmei Choco is quite popular. And it shows how passionate you are for your guy.

White Day* – This hasn't been mentioned in this chapter, but I think you should know about this event. White Day is another romantic day in Japan. This is on March 14, where the GUY gives the girl gifts and/or candy in return for the chocolate they received on Valentine's Day. Aww, Japan is quite a romantic country, huh? *shot*


	7. Spring Roses

_A/N: This is Haruka's Part! :3 If you are not a ContestShipper, then I suggest that you just skip this chapter._

_Note: Shuu/Drew, Houen/Hoenn, Touka City/Petalburg City, Masato/Max, Wakana/Brianna, Minamo City/Lilycove City_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****7****:**** Spring Roses **

I left in the afternoon before Valentine's Day. Shuu also insisted that I come to Houen after eating lunch. Well, if that's what my master/prince wants, I will do so. But seriously, he better not be hitting on girls again. That is not the correct behavior of a prince!

Haha, but then again… I'm not exactly your average maid either. The relationship between Shuu and me is almost similar to Shinji-San and Hikari-Chan's. Of course, Shuu is more… conceited and less polite. Geez, I don't know how I was able to put up with him all these years. We had our share of fights and good moments.

The boat went on its way to Houen. I stood at the deck, leaning on the rails. I gazed ahead of the blue sky. It was as if I can see Houen, even though it's far. "I'm on my way, LaRousse City."

Hmmm… I wonder how Hikari-Chan's doing with Shinji-San.

~.~.~

The sun began to set along the horizon, the sky tinted with red, pink, and orange colors.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

My alarm on my Pokétch kept ringing annoyingly in my ear. I wanted to shut it off, but I was too sleepy! "Geez… Okay, okay! I get it already!" Blowing the covers off me, I shut the alarm off. "Ugh…" I trudged to the bathroom. When I looked at the mirror, I saw a brunette with strands of hair sticking out and the back is all spread out like an afro.

I shrieked. "Gyah, my hair!" I quickly grabbed my brush and started combing it down. "So this is what Hikari-Chan goes through every day…" Wow, it must suck for her to have such long hair.

When I looked outside the window of my room, Houen was nearing! I smiled, cheering to myself like crazy in the inside. "Yes!" I quickly washed up and rushed out to the deck. Houen was only about an hour away.

"Damn it!" I mentally smacked myself as the boat continued to near my home region. "I forgot to tell Shuu that I was coming!" I blew my bangs away. "Ugh, he should be able to forgive me… right?"

The boat finally arrived to Houen. I immediately ran out of the boat to the Pokémon Center. But something stopped me. Someone grabbed my wrist and slightly pulled me back.

"Haruka?"

I turned around to see the very prince of Houen: Shuu. It's been a year since I saw him, but he hasn't changed… except his height. He still had that same green hairstyle and hot-headed emerald eyes.

"Shuu!" I attempted to embrace him, but it was going to be awkward if I did that. I smoothly moved my hands to grab his. "I was going to go call you! Why are you here?"

Shuu flicked his hair. Oh, how I sometimes _hated_ that flick. "Well, I figured that you will be here in the early morning, so… here I am." He smirked, rubbing my head. "That's how much I know you after all." He gave me a bright red rose, almost making me blush.

I rolled my eyes, taking the rose. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." I slung my bag over my shoulder as I stretched. "What did you ride on this time?"

He shrugged. "Just my boat." He led me to the other corner of the pier, where a small boat was floating below. "Are you surprised that I brought something ordinary this time?"

"Maybe, maybe not," I giggled. He helped me down to the boat and jumped down after me. "So do you have any plans for Valentine's Day tomorrow?"

Shuu suddenly chuckled, glancing at me. "It's the usual, and you know that."

"Ah… All your fangirls will gather around the gates of LaRousse Palace and pour their hearts out in their chocolates." I sighed, doing a facepalm. "Don't you _ever_ get sick of that? I know I would."

"That's probably because you don't understand how popular I am," he smugly replied.

A vein popped in my forehead. "Yes, of course! There's absolutely no way that I can understand how popular you are, Prince Shuu!" I gushed sarcastically. "Oh, please teach me how to be popular like you!" I nearly choked on my laughter when I saw Shuu's eye twitch in irritation. "How does it feel to be treated sarcastically, hm?"

"Hmph."

Then, I remembered the chocolates _I_ made. They were inside my bag, fresh and decorative. I wonder how he would reply to mine…

"Hey, Shuu?"

"What?"

"What if I gave you chocolates?"

Shuu seemed to contemplate it for a moment. "It depends on the type. What kind are you talking about?"

I tapped my lower lip. "Um… Giri?"

"Ha, of course, I'd accept it. It's probably your gratitude for me to let you be my personal maid."

"Oh, stop it with that haughty and conceited attitude for once, will you?" I laughed. "Then…" My heart skipped a beat. "What if it was H-Honmei?" He became quiet. If you were good at sensing aura, you can definitely sense the awkward atmosphere between us. I can mostly sense that the awkwardness came from me, not Shuu.

"If it was Honmei…" he started.

I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want him to answer that question. "U-uh, you know what? N-never mind! J-just don't answer that!" I swore that I was blushing. "Just pretend that I never asked you about Honmei Choco."

Shuu blinked at me confusingly. "Um… okay?" It was silent until he broke it. "Anyways, we're going to your house to meet your parents."

My heart lurched forward in joy. "My family? Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" He gave me a smirk as we went on our way to my home.

When we arrived to my hometown, Touka City, I immediately rushed to my house. I knocked on the door and Masato greeted me with a huge hug! "Haruka!" He grinned at me, adjusting his glasses. "I haven't seen you since… forever!" I giggled as I rubbed his head. "Oh! What's up, Shuu Nii-Chan?"

"Hello, Masato. Long time no see, right?" He flicked his hair.

Then, out came my mom. "Haruka! We haven't seen you for such a long time!" She looked a little sad. "Your father is repairing some things at his gym, so he won't be in today… His door is also barred shut, so I can't get in. I'm sorry, dear…" She gave me a welcoming hug. "I'll tell your father that you visited, okay?"

I nodded, slightly sad that I won't be able to see my dad. "Oh well, at least I got to see you and Masato! Oh yeah!" I dug through my bag and took out three bags of chocolates. "These are for you, dad, and Masato. I made them myself. Awesome, huh?"

Masato took it and ate one. "Wow! You _really_ made these? These taste so good!" He went into the house and ate some more. I rolled my eyes, smiling.

"Good morning, Mitsuko-San." Shuu bowed, taking out a rose. "You look very beautiful again, as always." I just wanted to smack him for saying that. That's almost like he's flirting with her! What do you want me to do?

My mom accepted the rose, bashful. "Oh, Shuu-Kun! You certainly know how to make a girl blush, don't you?" She giggled as she smelled the rose. "Well, you two should be on your way now. I'm sure Shuu-Kun has a lot of chocolates to receive."

Shuu and I both nodded. He looked indifferent about it, but I'm sure I looked nervous about it.

"I'll leave this for your father at the front of his gym. Thanks for visiting, Haruka." She pecked me on the head and waved us good-bye. Masato did, too.

~.~.~

_**LaRousse Palace…**_

"Wow! I missed this palace!" I opened the doors to my room. It was still clean, neat, and organized. "You actually cleaned my room?" I snorted. "I was expecting my room to be dusty, considering that you barely even care about it."

Shuu shrugged, smiling. "What can I say? I always anticipate the day you call me to come home." He leaned against the wall beside my door, crossing his arms. "About tomorrow…"

I already expected what he was going to say. "Are you gonna ask if I can help you with receiving and stacking the chocolates?"

He smirked. "You know me so well."

"What? I've been doing that for you for five years, ever since I was 10! Of course I would know what you would ask me." I entered my room and flung myself onto my fluffy bed. "Ah, I missed the fluffiness of my mattress!" I carefully opened my bag, making sure that the chocolates were crushed. They were safe and delicious-looking.

"So what's inside the bag? Is there something you want to give me?"

I puffed my cheeks, sticking out my tongue. "There's nothing I have to give you, Shuu. Stop being so nosy!" I hopped off my bed and shoved him outside my room. "Get out. I'm gonna change into my pajamas."

Shuu chuckled as he let me push him out. "Alright, alright… Get some rest."

I closed the doors and went to my wardrobe. All my dresses, shoes, and accessories were still in place. My maid uniform was hanging on the hanger… improvised! Hooray! I quickly tried on my uniform.

The new maid uniform was… a little flashy. It was knee-length and the skirt flared from the hips. The apron was pink – for me, anyways – with ruffs on the sleeves. The dress was red, my favorite color. On the front of the apron, there was a small and cute design of roses. My shoes were also red, while my socks were just white.

"Ha, when did he decide to improvise the uniform?" I shook my head, smiling. "He has too much time on his hands…" I opened the door and found Shuu pacing around. "Shuu! You have too much time on your hands, you know that?"

Shuu looked at me, smiling when he saw me. "What, I can't change the LaRousse uniforms?" He smugly rolled his eyes. "You're the one who wanted yours customized in the beginning…"

"Yeah, but…" I twirled, examining my uniform. "Don't you think this will make me totally stand out?"

He flicked his hair again, smirking. "There's nothing to worry about, little Haruka. Red and green do stand out together, don't they?"

I giggled, shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah… Whatever you say, Shuu-Sama." I greeted him a good night before I went to sleep. I was so exhausted that I immediately fell asleep in a minute.

~.~.~

It was finally Valentine's Day. I woke up early to have breakfast, and boy, did I eat a lot! There was going to be a lot of company today, so I stocked up.

After an hour, it was time to let the girls come in. I looked outside, only to find a crowd – no – a _town_ of girls.

I stood next to him, waiting for the first girl to come out with her chocolate. Apparently, it was a girl named Wakana. She recently "fell in love" with Shuu. It was so adorable how her eyes shined so brightly when she was talking to him. She gave Shuu her chocolate and left blushing like crazy.

"Hn, looks like I got new fangirl," he whispered. I smugly rolled my eyes. He gave me the box of chocolates, and I gently placed it in a huge box.

As time passed by, more and more girls began to walk in. I thought only one girl was allowed to enter. I just shrugged it off, going along with it. There must've more girls than any other years… Anyways, the box was starting to fill up with more and more chocolates. I've always wondered how Shuu can always finish them _without_ going hyper.

Only once did he go hyper… I don't want to talk about it.

It was around 3 in the afternoon when all the chocolates were given. Shuu had called for Wakana to give her a rose.

"For you, miss." He handed her the rose. "This is a gift to you as a, well… the way you put it, recent fangirl."

"Thank you, Prince Shuu! You are the best!" she squealed. She skipped out of the palace, smelling the rose on the way out.

I sighed as I sat the floor. "That actually took shorter than I expected." I glanced at the huge box of chocolates next to me. "Normally, this would last until sunset, but it seems that two to three girls were allowed to come in." I tilted my head in confusion. "So… what's up with the sudden change? I thought only one girl was permitted to enter."

Shuu shrugged, gazing at the blue sky. "I just wanted to get things over with for today." He glanced at me, smirking. "You haven't come here for year, right? I should let you enjoy your time until you go back home tonight."

"O-oh…" I blushed. "Thank you, Shuu-Sama." I fidgeted with my new uniform for a moment before speaking. "U-um… Do you have any plans after this?" Shuu nodded, looking at me.

"Do you want to go to Minamo City together?"

My eyes widened at the name. "Minamo City? Really? Is it okay?"

Shuu smiled, mouthing a 'yes'. "I had a feeling you wanted to go there after staying in Shinou for so long." He gestured me to go to my room. "Go change into casual clothes. I'll be back too, okay?"

I squealed, excited about going to Minamo City. I skipped to my room and picked out the most casual outfit I could find. I wore a red t-shirt with a dark blue circle around my neck, dark blue shorts, a white mini skirt, red-and-yellow sneakers, and a red bandanna with a white maple leaf print on it. I went back out to see Drew.

What I saw completely caught me off-guard. Shuu was wearing a dark blue shirt with a light violet jacket along with aqua-blue pants. I managed to suppress my blush.

"Wow, Shuu…" I approached him cautiously. "Since when did you know how to dress casually so properly? I always had to help you with that…"

Shuu rolled his eyes, flicking his hair. "I've been practicing, unlike you, who still don't know how to treat their master/prince properly."

"Oh, shut it!" I puffed my cheeks, crossing my arms. But all my anger was forgotten when I remembered Minamo City. I started squealing. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shuu!"

He smiled at me, chuckling at my sudden behavior. "Let's go." He led me outside, where the walkways were moving along with the Block Bots. "I have a hot air balloon waiting for us." We rode the walkways to the outskirts of LaRousse City.

Like he said, there was a hot air balloon ready to leave. A Block Bot was waiting for us, resting on the rim of the basket. We hopped in the air balloon and took off into the air. We managed to arrive to Minamo City in half an hour, so there was plenty of time for me to shop 'till I drop!

But first, I should ask where Shuu wants to go. He is a prince after all. "So where do you want to go?"

Shuu shrugged. "I'm going to follow where you go. Besides, this is my Welcome Back gift to you. If you want to buy something, I'll buy it." His eyes became deadpanned and stared at me. "Just don't do anything reckless and/or buy an item over the usual clothing prices you buy."

I grinned, nodding. "Yes, sir!" I grabbed his arm and ran into the Minamo Department Store. I went to different stores, looking at each outfit, item, and accessory. There was so much that I wanted to buy! But I wasn't that selfish. I just bought enough for me to go home with and to give all my friends.

When I mean "enough", I mean four new outfits for me, one for Kasumi, one for Leaf, one for Nozomi, and one for Hikari! That pretty much meant eight outfits for Shuu to buy. I hope they weren't too expensive…

Either way, Shuu seemed okay with it. He simply smirked at me as he paid for it. I swear, if it wasn't for the bags of clothes covering my face, he would've seen my blush!

I suddenly felt Shuu tug at my hand. "Do you mind if we can stop by the jewelry store?"

"Nope," I chimed. I followed him to the jewelry store and I saw _so_ many accessories of gems! Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls, and more! "So what do you need to buy here, Shuu?"

Right when I asked, he gave me a reply that nearly sent my heart into a hopeless abyss.

"I'm planning to propose today to someone I've liked for a long time," he slightly blushed as he said this. "Can you help me pick out a ring fit for engagement?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Of course!" I gave him the best smile I could give. "So who's the lucky girl?"

Shuu smirked, flicking his hair. "My, Haruka… You shouldn't be so nosy."

"Okay, okay, I won't ask." Inside, I was smiling sadly. I somehow knew this was coming… After all, he wouldn't marry someone like me. We both looked around the rings section and came across many beautiful gemstones. "What kind of gems do you have in mind to give her?"

"I'm thinking of a diamond – the ones that you usually do buy – or a sapphire – something I think is a little uncommon." He crossed his arms, looking at sets of the rings. "I'm going to need help choosing the metal band, too."

I thought for a while, thinking about what would go best with what. "What color of the sapphire?"

"Blue."

"If it's a blue sapphire, why don't you go with… hmmm… silver?"

"What about a diamond?"

"I'd go with white gold…" I shrugged. "I dunno – that's my opinion. You should go with what you think would look best on her." He scratched his head, examining the plating and gems. "Did you choose yet?"

Shuu then nodded. "Excuse me, miss." He called an employee over. "I would like a diamond with a white-gold band."

The employee took a note on what he wanted on a notepad. "How do you want the diamond to look? Round? Just as it is?"

"Hmmm…" He crossed his arms, contemplating. "What do you think, Haruka?"

I examined the diamond. Its size was as wide as my index finger, which I considered very large. "I _think_ you should at least make it around 5 mm. You can make it round like the classical diamond shape." But I thought the sapphire looked nicer. I gazed at the sapphire for a while, mesmerized by its cerulean color. _It's so pretty, too…_

"Actually, miss, can I change it to the blue sapphire with a silver band?"

The employee smiled. "Of course, Prince Shuu." She scratched out the first order and wrote down the new one. "When would you like to have this ready by?"

Shuu looked at his watch, his eyes slightly narrowing. "Do you have any other orders at the moment?"

"No, sir."

"Then, I would like to have this done as quickly as possible."

"Well, if it's a sapphire this small," she held it up, "it'll probably take about an hour, including the metal band and base." She then looked at me. "Um, miss, do you mind if I can look at your finger? It seems like the perfect size for the girl he wants to engage with." I blinked in confusion, but let her measure my ring finger anyways. "Thank you, miss. I'll let the jeweler know to make this ASAP."

With that, she disappeared into a room.

I quietly sighed to myself. This was… all so sudden. He told me that he wanted to be engaged with someone and asked me for my opinion for an engagement ring. I felt a little heartbroken, but I kept my happiness for him and the girl.

~.~.~

It was now sunset. Shuu still hasn't told me who he was going to propose to yet. Plus, I'm going after dinner. He also said that he was going to propose _today_. Oh, how corny. If he does it right now, that would so typical of him.

"Hey, Haruka?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't really know how to tell you this…"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Tell me what?" But then, the questions that have been bugging me began to arise. I couldn't take it anymore. "S-Shuu, who are you going to propose to? I've been trying to ask you that all day, but…" I lowered my head. "… but I thought I might annoy you if I kept pushing the subject…"

Shuu smirked, patting my head. "Do you really want to know that badly?" Unconsciously, my eyes went to his right pocket, where the box containing the engagement ring was. "I guess you do."

"No, you don't have to tell me." I looked around me, realizing that we were in his botanic rose garden. There were so many roses of so many different colors! "It's not like I'm dying to know, anyways…" I was then reminded of my chocolates! "Oh yeah…" I dug through my bag. "Truthfully, I _did_ have something to give you."

I took out my bag of chocolates. "I made these back at Shinou, you see." I held the bag as if they were precious. To me, they were. "And… I wanted to give this to you as Honmei chocolates."

Shuu's eyes slightly widened. "You… made these… for me?"

"Y-yeah…" I hid it behind my back. "But, look, you have someone to propose to. I probably shouldn't be giving you this as Honmei chocolates…" Just when I was about to put the bag away, Shuu grabbed my wrist. "Shuu? What's wrong?"

"Haruka…" His emerald green eyes bore into mine. "The person that I've liked, no, loved… is you." He slightly pulled me towards him, looking at the bag of chocolates in my hand. His usual hot-headed attitude had changed into a soft, gentlemanly one. "I would gladly accept them as Honmei Choco." He put his hand in his right pocket.

My heart froze from nervousness. _Oh my gosh… Is he…?_

"But first…" Shuu knelt down on one knee, took out the box, and opened it. It revealed the sapphire ring that I described for him. "Will you be my fiancée?" He smiled warmly at me. I thought I was going to melt! "This would also mean in the future… Will you marry me?"

But it wasn't _just_ my heart that melted. My emotions melted along with it and flowed down into tears. I nodded, but muttered, "Yes, but you better not be joking with me, Prince Shuu of Houen!" I held back a gasp when he really did reach for the ring. He slid it on my ring finger.

"Perfect."

I tackled him into a hug, my tears running down so freely. "You are so cheesy, you know that?" He embraced me back, patting my back. "Why did you keep this from me so late?" I sniffed, wiping my tears away. "What about mom, dad, and Masato? Do they even know about this?"

Shuu smirked. "Of course they do. I asked them to let you be my fiancée last week." He sat up, caressing my hand. "They agreed, and I already told my parents. They've known you long enough to approve." He kissed my cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day, Haruka."

"You know what?" I murmured. "You don't have to get me a White Day gift." I gazed at my engagement ring in joy. "I'm pretty sure that my joy for your proposal will pass White Day, so don't get me anything else. If you do, I think I'm going to break down from an overdose of joy."

He laughed, hugging me again. "This is one of the reasons I love you: You make almost everything I do into such a funny or lame joke."

"Hey!" I smacked him on the arm, a stupid smile on my face. We stayed in the rose garden, watching the sun set. "Happy Valentine's Day."

~.~.~

I managed to reach Tobari Palace before Hikari gave her chocolates to Shinji! I kissed Shuu good-bye before I rushed upstairs. Kasumi, Leaf, and Nozomi were waiting for me by Hikari's door.

"Finally, you're here!" Leaf whispered. "She just went inside Shinji's room. Let's go!" We quietly walked to Shinji's room. We leaned our ears against the door, trying to hear the conversation.

"Here!" we heard her choke out.

"What's this?"

"Chocolate…" Her voice was filled with uncertainty. Nozomi sighed at how nervous she was. Fight on, Hikari! Fight on! "U-um, it's not like these chocolates are to ask for forgiveness for that day, though. These are chocolates to show my thanks to you."

_Aww, how sweet!_ I exclaimed in my thoughts. I peered through the keyhole, finding Hikari hold out her bag of chocolates out to Shinji.

He glanced at the chocolates. "You made these?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not sure if you like sweet things…" She averted her gaze to the window, embarrassed. "Y-you don't need to try one, if you don't like chocolate. I'm just offering."

"Oh my Arceus, what is she saying?" Kasumi anxiously whispered. "She worked so hard this morning to make them!"

"Shh!" Leaf hissed.

I looked back at the keyhole. Shinji opened the bag and took a chocolate. "He took one, he took one!" We all crowded around the door, anticipating his reaction.

Shinji took a bite and my heart was already racing! He swallowed and what I saw in his eyes was surprise! Then, he smiled. We all gasped! We never thought he had the ability to smile! Okay, that's a bit harsh, but you know what I mean!

He looked up at Hikari, warmly smiling. "They're delicious." He took another one, his face expression growing warmer and warmer. "Did you make all this?"

Hikari shyly nodded. "U-uh-huh." She nervously rubbed the back of her neck, a blush on her face.

Then, he asked the ultimate question. "Is this Giri Choco or Honmei Choco?"

She smiled at him, giggling. "They're Giri Choco. I want to show how thankful I am for letting me be here. If you haven't offered me that maid job, I wouldn't be having this much fun in Tobari Palace." She gave him a small bow. "Thank you so much, Master Shinji."

Shinji smirked, rubbing the top of her head. "It's no problem. Besides, you're the one who sparked some fun around here." He looked outside the window, where the moon was brightly shining.

"U-um… Master Shinji?"

"Hm?"

"You don't mind if I can give you a hug too, right?"

We were surprised! A hug? No way! Was she _that_ thankful?

He smugly rolled his eyes and turned to her. "Why not?" Hikari grinned and gave him a quick hug.

Kasumi, Leaf, Nozomi and I smiled at each other and quietly walked away.

~.~.~

_A/N: Yay for ContestShipping! 8D CS is my second best shipping, actually. ^^; PS comes next. Then, the others. xDDDDD The next part will be… Nozomi's part!_

_**Questions**_

_What did you think of this chapter? (A little too corny, maybe? x3)  
What do you think Shuu was planning for Haruka the WHOLE DAY?  
Do you think Hikari really wanted to give the chocolates to Shinji as Giri Choco?  
Is Haruka's ring good enough? (It matches with her eyes, so I gave her a blue sapphire)  
How bad do you think Haruka wanted to know who Shuu was going to propose to?  
What do you think will happen in Nozomi's part of Ribbon of Royalty?  
What will Kengo play in this fanfic? (Haha, spoiler…! xD)_


	8. Comedy Duo: ShootsDown

_A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm sorry for not updating in a month! QAQ School has been killing me, but I managed to finish today! This chapter is a belated White Day present. (Shim Hyung Rae)_

_Note: Yosuga City/Hearthome City, Momoan/Marian, Joi/Nurse Joy, Musashi/Jessie, Koujirou/James_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****8****:**** Comedy Duo: ShootsDown! **

It was very early in the morning. Hikari had followed me to the outskirts of Tobari City. I had to listen to what she had planned for us today, but…

"But Nozomi…!" Hikari quietly whined. "You promised me!"

I sweatdropped, feeling guilt strike my chest. "Sorry, Hikari… I know I promised you that I'll help you deal with Shinji, but you know I can't go today." I slung my bag over my shoulder and prepared to leave.

Hikari pouted, crossing her arms. "Fine." Her mood suddenly changed as she grasped my hands. "Tell me everything when you come back to Tobari City, okay?"

I nodded as I adjusted my sunglasses on my head. "You always did like our comedy bits, huh?"

"Are you kidding? I loved them!" Her blue eyes shined so brightly. "I always watched you guys perform when I was down. Your bits always seemed to help me forget about my problems and laugh my heart out."

I raised a brow, smiling coyly. "Oh? What about Tobari Acrobatics and Magic?"

She smiled her usual smile. "Of course, they also helped me forget about my problems! But, instead of laughs, it was admiration."

"Hey…" I decided to pull a joke on her. "So you're saying that you don't admire Kengo and me?"

Hikari waved her arms about frantically. "N-no! That's not what I meant by that at all! I-I mean… uh… I…"

I laughed at how nervous she got! "I'm just joking, Hikari. Tobari Acrobatics and Magic was your first entertainment after all. I wouldn't be surprised if you preferred them over us."

"Sheesh, I'm never gonna do that…" she muttered under her breath. "Anyways, good luck in today's performance!"

"Thanks!" I put my sunglasses over my eyes and waved her good-bye. "I'll come back the day after tomorrow!"

"Bye, Nozomi!"

~.~.~

I saw Kengo waiting near a post, looking at his watch. I smiled as I saw him. "Kengo!"

He looked up from his watch and grinned. "Finally, you're here!" He ran up to me, handing me my train ticket. "Do you still remember our routines?"

"Of course I do!" I moved my sunglasses back up to my head. "I wouldn't be this confident if I didn't know it, you know."

Kengo laughed. "Of course you wouldn't." We started walking to the train station while going over our routines. "Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you for the Valentine's Day chocolates. They were really delicious!"

I slightly blushed. "Oh, thanks a lot, Kengo."

"I know I'm a bit late on thanking you… since it's already March and all…"

I waved my hands in front of my face. "It's no problem!" I nervously laughed. "I'm just glad that you accepted them, you know?"

Kengo snapped his fingers. "Oh, there's another thing I wanted to ask you." He turned to me, a curious expression on his face. "What kind of chocolates were they? Were they Giri or Honmei?"

My face turned hot and my body froze. My legs refused to walk any further. "U-um… Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I have to give you something for White Day, right?" He nudged me on the arm. "Come on, tell me!"

"No, Kengo!" I jokingly smacked the back of his head with a large paper fan. I laughed when Kengo fell to the ground face-flat. "So what do you think about my new trick?"

He sat up, rubbing the area I smacked him on. "Pretty good, actually. You'll need to work on timing, though."

I smiled, tucking back my fan in my bag. "Okay then." We arrived to the train station, waiting for the train that goes to Yosuga City (Hearthome City). "I can't believe that the Yosuga Comedy Contest actually invited us to perform there…" I crossed my legs, resting my head against the bench. "We trained a lot for this contest, didn't we?"

"Yeah…" He extended out a hand. "Let's do our best, Nozomi!"

"Let's also win first place, Kengo!" I grasped his hand and we shook on it. "If we don't get through the preliminary rounds, what shall we do?"

Kengo smirked as he tapped his chin. "How about a full day of intense training?"

"Deal!"

After half an hour of waiting, the Yosuga Express finally arrived. We handed in our tickets and went on our way to Yosuga City.

While we were waiting in the train, I dug through my bag to make sure I had everything. _Paper fan – check – kimono – check…_ I mentally checked off everything on my list that was in my bag.

Kengo leaned towards me to look inside my bag. "Did you get everything?"

"I got them." I slightly pushed his head away from me. "What about you? Did you get the equipment?"

He took out a small wig and two furry things. "Hey, remember this trick?" He stuck the two furry things to his eyebrows and the wig on his head. I chuckled. You see, that trick was our very first routine as a beginner duo. Kengo would walk around with those and try to get people's attention by telling a joke. All of a sudden, they would fly off his head as he gets to the funny part.

It wasn't much, but it did get a lot of children to laugh. "Yeah, I remember. That trick was the reason I joined you to do comedy routines together."

"And to think we came this far, huh?" he laughed. "I thought you'd give up, but I guess not."

"Nah…" I crossed my arms, smirking. "I grew up to entertain people. Besides, your routines are actually thoroughly planned and not winged." I rolled my eyes when I recalled all the others comedians winging their routines. "Plus, they're easy to memorize and able to be laughed at."

Kengo took out a pamphlet from his bag. "I forgot to tell you about this. They gave me the order of the people who are going."

I leaned in to see the names. "Oh geez…" I spotted the duo that always got me bored. "Team Rocket is going to be in the contest?" We both groaned. I'm telling you, they had the _worst_ routines ever! Every time they finished one, one of them ended up blasting off into the sky!

"Well, hopefully… _HOPEFULLY_… they have better routines this time."

Silence ensued as we stared at each other. Then, we burst into laughter. "No way, Kengo! They'll never be able to come up with something good!"

"You got that right!" He looked at the pamphlet again, reading over the names. "Huh… looks like we're going after Team Rocket."We smirked at each other. "In that case…"

"We can probably show them off with our more epic routines!"

"Go, Team ShootsDown!" With a high-five, we went over our routines for the contest again.

~.~.~

_**Yosuga City…**_

Only an hour had passed when we arrived to Yosuga City. We looked for the Contest Hall, which was said to be in the center of the city.

"Nozomi, I think it's there!" Kengo pulled on my sleeve and pointed towards a large dome building ahead. "I think I see a banner at the way top…"

I stood on my toes to get a better look. "It says… 'Yosuga Comedy Contest'!" We ran over to the contest hall, taking in the view. It was definitely larger than Shinji's palace, that's for sure. "Err… wow… This is gonna have a huge audience…"

We had to arch our necks all the way up to look at the whole thing. I swear, if Kengo had to look up any further, he'd fall on his back.

"I think it's best to stop looking and make a reservation for our room." I dragged him to the hotel and registered our names for a room. The receptionist handed me and key to our room. I took it and went upstairs. "So Kengo – it's a bit late of me to ask – how were my chocolates?"

Kengo sat on the edge of his bed. "They were delicious! Did you make them?"

"Yeah. Hikari gave me the basics, but I made the flavors myself."

"Huh…" He lied on his side, leaning his head upon his hand. "Well, I've got to say… You're not just a comedian, are you?"

I rolled my eyes and threw his kimono at him. "Shut up." We laughed as we unpacked our luggage. As soon as we were finished, we decided to do some last-minute practicing.

When it was nine in the morning, the contest had started.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Yosuga Comedy Contest!" A woman with caramel-colored hair stepped up to the stage. "My name is Momoan (Marian) and I will be your announcer for this contest!"

She led the audience's vision to the three judges. "The first judge is Contesta-San!"

A middle-aged man gave the audience a smile. "I am happy to be here for a laugh!"

"Then, we have Sukizou-San!"

Sukizou was a short man with a slightly round body. "Hello, everyone! Remarkable!"

"Finally, we have Joi-San!"

A young woman with pink hair gave the audience a wave. "I am so excited to see all the acts that the contestants will perform!"

"For the preliminary rounds, the performers will have to do one act and the judges will decide whether they pass! Out of all these contestants, only six lucky teams will be chosen for the final round!" Momoan smiled and stepped aside next to the judges. "And let the contest begin!" The audience burst into applause and cheers.

Kengo took a deep breath. "Oh man… I can't wait until it's our turn!" He tapped me on my shoulder. "Hey, I'll perform a small act of mine for our final ending when we get through the preliminaries. But I'm not telling you what it is. You just have to react on your own, okay?"

"What?" I whispered. "What are you talking about? What if I react wrong? We'll be disqualified!"

He smirked and shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure you'll be able to react very well to it."

I gave him a slightly disappointed look, but I just had to go along with plan. It's better to react with whatever than nothing. Right now, Team Aqua was performing. They had a huge group of comedians and I must say that they are very skilled with water.

The next performers were Team Magma. Apparently, Team Aqua and Team Magma were huge rivals in the comedy world back in Houen. They were very skilled with their element too: Fire. I really couldn't tell how they didn't set things on fire…

Next was Team Galactic. They were quite… unique. They seemed to have pretty serious faces, but there were times when they _actually_ looked comically stupid. We were pretty amazed with their skill.

A few more performers went by with their successes and failures. Next was Team Rocket. Kengo and I looked at each other, nervously smiling. We had a feeling we knew what was going to happen.

Musashi (Jessie), the magenta-haired woman, and Kojirou (James), the blue-haired man, stepped up to the stage with some robotic-looking equipment. I did a facepalm. Yep… In the end, their act somehow exploded. They were sprawled on the ground and smoke was rising from their bodies. We laughed, but it was probably an immediate disqualification for them.

It was our turn next.

I took a deep breath and stuffed a PokéBall plushie inside a pocket. "Let's do this, Kengo!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a warm applause for a new duo: Team ShootsDown!" The audience applauded as best as they could for us. I gulped and skipped out merrily onto the stage. There were faux trees and bushes everywhere!

"Ugh, I just can't catch a flipping Pokémon!" I took out my toy PokéBall and crossed my arms. "Where the hell can I catch a Pokémon?" Suddenly, a rustle was heard near me. "Who's there?" Rustles continued to sound out throughout the stage. Then, I saw a glimpse of Kengo's hair! "Aha! I got you now! PokéBall, go!" I threw it at his head.

A huge _bonk_ sound echoed throughout the contest hall.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

My eyes widened as I saw Kengo get up from the bush. "D-did a Pokémon just… talk…?" The audience laughed a bit.

"Did you throw this at me?"

I waved my hands in front of my face. "N-n-no, please! I didn't know that you were a human! I thought you were a Pokémon!"

Kengo looked embarrassed and furious. "You thought I was a Pokémon?" He prepared to throw it back at me. "Well, have your PokéBall back!" He threw it, but it missed me by an inch! The ball bounced around everywhere… and went back to hitting his head! "Ow!" He fell face-flat on the floor and skidding to my feet. "… Fine, fine… You win…"

The audience burst into laughter and cheers! We stood up and bowed to the audience.

"Wow! They made up a comedy act based on Pokémon!" Momoan turned to the judges. "What do you think, judges?"

"I think the idea was unique and astounding!"

"I agree! Remarkable!"

"Not only was their timing perfect, the reactions looked so real and comical!"

Momoan held up our arms. "Let's give another round of applause for the ShootsDown Duo!" The audience clapped their hands as we exited the stage. "Next is…"

We plopped down on our chairs, taking a drink of water. "Damn, I thought I was gonna die out there!" Kengo rubbed his head with an ice pack, laughing his heart out. "Did you see me? I totally did that skid perfectly!"

I nodded in agreement. "Instead of celebrating, let me see that bump of yours…"

Kengo slightly leaned away from me. "No."

"If you don't want to look retarded in the final round, show me that bump."

"It's not that big!" He put down the ice pack, revealing a small red spot on his forehead. "See? It's fine!" I stemmed my hands on my hips and rolled my eyes. "Hey, I'm pretty sure it won't grow into a huge bump and that this spot will disappear soon."

"Alright, alright…" I hung my head back to enjoy some peace. Truthfully, I was shaking like crazy out there! I have never ever seen a crowd _that_ large before! It gave me surprise and for once… a bad case of stage fright. Fortunately, Kengo taught me how to cover those up.

To be honest, I've always had stage fright. That's why I've lived for the feeling. It just makes you wonder why you're so shook up, you know? In this case, it was pretty serious. I guess I never expected an audience this big. Is comedy that big of a deal to people?

Well, considering how people loves to laugh, then it must be.

Also… I liked to see Kengo laugh at my jokes and routines. There were even times when he was more than serious to perfect an act. He was completely committed. I was completely committed too, but not as much as he was. He really must've loved comedy and slapstick.

~.~.~

The preliminary round lasted until all the contestants were done with their act. Some were great, some were okay, and some were just plain and horrible. Comedians have to be blunt, that's what I believe.

The round finished around six PM. Everyone, even us, was exhausted from their acts, watching others, and sitting on their butts until now. I fell asleep a few times, but managed to wake up before anyone noticed. You see, it's rude to fall asleep or look bored when someone's performing their act – unless they were plain boring and unoriginal.

… You can tell what kind of person I am, huh? What can I say? Like I said before, comedians have to be blunt.

When they announced the final team to go on, everyone – I mean, _everyone_ – sighed in relief. We thought we'd never get out of this crowded room! If you saw the backstage of the contest hall, you'd feel claustrophobic. I'm not even kidding. Even the boldest people mentioned that they feel like their private bubble's been invaded.

Err… Okay, that sounded really wrong… Haha…

After the last team was done, all the contestants were offered a free gourmet meal for their hard work! Ah… Hard work really does give you something good in return.

As soon as the audience went back home, we were led to a fancy restaurant by the judges and Momoan. Apparently, they reserved that restaurant for tonight only for all the seats! The dining room was big enough to fit everyone without being crowded one bit. They already paid for our dinner, so that was lucky of us.

"Ugh… I'm starving…" Kengo muttered. "I should've brought a snack when we came here… All I had was water for crying out loud!"

I laughed. "C'mon, it wasn't that bad. You were so focused on the other performances after all. I bet you didn't even feel any hunger until now."

"Duh, that's why I'm complaining right now…"

"I wonder when dinner's going to arrive."

Right on cue, waiters and waitresses appeared with carts and trays of different dishes! They smelled so delicious that my stomach complained to be filled up immediately. I obeyed by eating a piece of steak, savoring its tangy barbeque flavor. "I bet this will be enough to fill me up until lunch tomorrow!"

We all chowed down on the food, our hunger overtaking us. We managed to slow down after eating half of our whole course. I exhaled deeply, my stomach nearly satisfied. "Man, I never thought I'd be having this much food."

Kengo nodded after washing his food down. "This is probably what Hikari and Tobari Palace eats everyday!" He leaned on his chair, drinking his water. "Did Hikari get fat lately?"

"Huh, well you're mean…" I murmured. "No, Hikari did not get fat. Geez, you sure are horrible to your own childhood friend."

"What can I say…" he shrugged, "The past was horrifying for her, but hilarious to me."

I rolled my eyes and ate some salad.

After a few more minutes of eating, Contesta-San called for our attention. "The judges and I have come to a conclusion for the contestants who are to go to the final round!" We all clapped and cheered. But most were nervous and anticipating the results. "Joi-San will post up the results in your rooms in your hotel. We were very glad to see everyone's comical acts."

He bowed and we applauded.

After dinner was over, Kengo and I rushed to our hotel room. On top of the drawers, a piece of paper was lying face down on the surface. I gulped.

"Do you want to read it, Nozomi?"

"Why me?"

"You were more confident than me back there! You should be the one to read it."

I hesitated, but took the paper in my hand. Our hopes were put on this sheet of paper I was holding. If we didn't make it, then it's back to the drawing board and registrations. If we made it, we probably won't get a wink of sleep.

"Come on, read it!"

"Okay, okay… Hold on…" I read the words at the top. "Thank you for participating in the Yosuga Comedy Contest! You have given us many laughs today and we thank you. The teams stated below are the contestants that have passed the preliminary round. Congratulations on passing! However, if you did not pass, you are welcome to try again next time! For those who passed, the final round will be held at 6 PM sharp tomorrow! Once again, thank you!"

Then, I read the names.

"Team Aqua… Team Magma… Team Galactic… HanaIchi Twins… Takoyaki Row…"

It was finally time to say the last team. That was when time had stopped for me. My heart thumped rapidly, a sweatdrop rolled down my cheek, my eyes were glued to the second last name, and my hands were slightly trembling in anticipation. It was as if my eyes refused to look further down.

Even Kengo was nervous about this! He shut his eyes, hoping that we made it. I hoped that we made it too, yet I was a little scared that we might not have made it.

I finally looked down on the paper. It's as if it appeared very slowly.

It revealed the last team! I gasped as I looked at the name. "No way…"

"Did we get in…?"

I couldn't believe I was actually giving in to my excitement! I shouted in joy and shook Kengo frantically by the shoulder. "We made it, Kengo! We made it, we made it!" His eyes snapped open as he snatched the paper from my hand. Then, they grew wide in joy.

"Awesome, we made it!" He jumped and hugged me. That sorta caught me off-guard, making me blush… a _lot_. "Oops… Sorry." He slightly blushed and rubbed his head. "Anyways, this is so great! We actually got in the final round!"

We did a high-five and laughed. This is so great! I can't wait until tomorrow! Watch out, all you other participants…

The ShootsDown Duo will be taking you down!

~.~.~

_**The next day…**_

"Oh man… I'm so nervous…!" Kengo tapped his foot on the ground continuously. "This is like… the _real_ competition here!"

Even I was a little bit of a wreck myself. I slapped myself in the cheeks to get myself together. "Kengo, this is no time to be nervous! We came all the way here and now we're in the final competition! We can't be nervous!"

Kengo stood up and took a deep breath. "You're right, Nozomi. If we were able to go through that preliminary round, we can get through this!"

… That's what we told ourselves anyways…

But when we saw the audience, we got shook up again. There was twice the number of people than yesterday! There were many people who had to sit on the stairs too!

"… Oh shiz…"

"Hey, ShootsDown Duo!"

We turned around to see two people (one girl and one boy) in front of us. "Oh, you're the HanaIchi Twins!" The two nodded at the same time. "Your comedy act in the preliminary round was really hilarious! Kengo and I couldn't stop talking about you two!"

"Thanks! But yours was funny, too! A comedy act based on Pokémon? That is ingenious!" the girl said.

"Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?" the boy said. He gave us a bow like a gentleman. "My name is Ichi, the older twin brother."

The girl gave us a small curtsy. "I'm Hana, the younger twin sister."

Kengo tilted his head in curiosity. "Hm? Wait, why is it HanaIchi then? Shouldn't it be reversed?"

The two looked at each other and smiled. "You see, Hana is always the one who comes up with the ideas. I'm the one who just acts them out." Ichi nudged Hana in the arm. "She also helps me, too, so I have no right to be taking first."

"I suggested that we do IchiHana Twins, but he just wouldn't let me. I like to name things by age."

Ichi shrugged. "I'd rather name things by ranking. It's just like how Hana ranks better at ideas than me."

I nodded in comprehension. "Oh, I see… Say, your personalities are kinda like the opposite, huh?"

Hana nodded with a big grin. "Of course! Ichi is the calm and mature twin…"

"… while Hana is super hyperactive and childish twin."

"Let's give Takoyaki Row a round of applause!" Momoan twirled back to the side of the stage. "Now for the final team for this final round…"

Kengo looked at the screen outside. Our picture was shown in the screen!

Ichi placed a hand on Kengo's shoulder. "Don't be so nervous, you two. Just take a deep breath, relax, and just focus on your act."

Hana gave us a thumbs-up. "Remember that this comedy contest isn't supposed to be about winning. It's supposed to be about the laughs and enjoyment that you can bring out of other people."

I smiled. "Thank you so much." I turned to Kengo and grabbed his hand. "Let's do this, Kengo!"

Right there, I saw a new fire in his eyes. He was determined… not to win, but to let everyone enjoy us. "I'm with you!" We both gave each other a nod and prepared to make our entrance.

"Please give warm round of applause for a new comedy duo: ShootsDown!" Momoan pointed at the timer above her. "Remember that you have ten minutes to perform your acts!"

"And… go!" I gave him the signal. We both somersaulted into the center of the stage. However, I continued to tumble down the stage and hit against one of the poles! "Oof!" My back was against the pole while I looked at the audience with puzzled eyes. My body slid down the pole until I was looking at the ceiling. "… What just happened…?"

The audience laughed at my confused expression.

"… Hey, you…" Kengo pointed at me. "Come over here." I got up and neared him. "What are you trying to do? Are you trying to steal my spotlight?"

"N-no, of course not! I didn't mean to-!"

"Save it, redhead!" He crossed his arms and stared at me hard. "I challenge you to a fight, you red spotlight-hogger!"

A vein popped in my forehead. "Oh, you're on, bastard!" We both pretended to punch and kick each other until I shoved him to the floor.

Kengo fell on his face – again – but this time, his body was bent back until his feet touched the floor! "…"

The audience burst into laughter again. We both saw Hana and Ichi cracking up behind the curtains. They gave us this confidence and we weren't going to waste it!

The spotlights switched off as we stood up and grabbed a kendo stick nearby. When the lights turned back on, we formed a line. Our kendo sticks were held up.

"Let's start a kendo warm-up, shall we?" I asked him.

"Yes, sir! I mean, ma'am! I mean, sir!" We heard some laughter.

"Ready… Go!" We swung the sticks up and down. While Kengo was swinging it in the air, I was hitting his head! "1, 2, 3! 1, 2, 3!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kengo exclaimed. "You know what, sensei? I'll just go to the back and do the warm-up. Let's do it that way."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine then." We got into position. "Ready… Turn!" We turned and it was back to the previous position again. I was hitting him and he was hitting the air.

"Oh, come on!"

The audience laughed again. Even the judges laughed a lot!

Momoan giggled. "ShootsDown Duo has about five minutes left until their time is up! What will they do next?" The lights turned off again.

Kengo brought out a huge suspended gong and I was holding a bamboo stick with a round, hard pad. He placed himself by a prop and pretended to sleep. I was positioning myself to walk. When the lights turned on, I walked over to the gong with my bamboo stick.

"Ah, what a beautiful day!" I stretched. I took notice of the sleeping Kengo. "What? The guard is asleep… in this awesome weather?" I sighed and shook my head. "Geez… I have no choice but to wake him up." I prepared to hit the gong. I swung the stick back, but suddenly, I felt my head being hit by something. (It was actually the round part of the bamboo stick that hit me.)

I whirled around to find the culprit. "Who hit me?" But there was no one there. I blinked for a few seconds. I attempted to hit the gong again, swinging the stick back. Again, something hit the back of my head again! I whirled around again. "Ah, dammit! Who the hell is hitting me?" The audience laughed. I looked. "Oh, I see… The guy is always hitting me when I'm about to hit the gong! I get it…"

I narrowed my eyes and turned around again. I swung the stick back a little but whipped my head around. There was no one around me.

"Oh! Why didn't I think of it before?" I squatted down. "If I squat down like this, the guy won't be able to hit me!" I swung my stick back, only to have it hit the back of my head again. I fell face-flat on the ground.

_Everyone_ laughed at my routine.

I gritted my teeth and turned to the sleeping Kengo. "Oh, so you're the culprit, huh? Let's see how you feel about this!" I smacked his head with my bamboo.

"Ow!" Kengo grabbed his head, writhing in pain. "What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, don't play dumb!" I crossed my arms. "You're the one who kept hitting the back of my head!"

"What? I did no such thing!"

I began to chase him with my bamboo in my hands. I attempted to smack him as I chased him. "Come back here!"

Kengo skidding to a stop. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute!"

I stopped, still holding my stick in mid-air. "What…?"

"I have something to confess…"

I raised a brow. "What's your confession?"

Kengo stood up and gave me a quick smile before he reverted back to his act. "I like you, Nozomi. I love you." The female audience squealed at Kengo as the male audience whistled at me. "That's my confession."

My jaw hung open. I froze. You might think that that's part of the act… but it isn't. That quick smile he gave me was telling me that his next line was the truth.

"W-w-w-what…?" I spluttered. I was completely speechless… and red in the face. It was unexpected of him to confess to me through comedy! I fell backwards like a statue. I took out a white flag and waved it around. "I surrender… You win…"

Truthfully, he was supposed to say something else to make me surrender… but this was better.

The audience clapped and whistled to us. Kengo helped me up and we bowed. Momoan skipped to the center of the stage and held our hands up. "Let's give a hand to the ShootsDown Duo!"

We rushed backstage to relax. But after that confession, we weren't able to anyways.

"That was the perfect reaction, Nozomi. See?" Kengo crossed his arms, his cheeks tinted with pink. "You really do know me well." He grinned at me. "Happy White Day, Nozomi."

My face was red as my hair. "You idiot…" I muttered. "You tell that to me now…?" I put my sunglasses to my eyes as I hugged Kengo. "Those were Honmei chocolates when I gave it to you. I didn't want to know your feelings for me yet, so I didn't tell you."

Kengo smiled. "I already knew. I wouldn't have this feeling if I didn't know, right?"

I saw Hana nudging Ichi to look at us. They smiled at each other as they sneaked away to the television.

"After a long time of discussing, the judges have come to a decision!" Momoan was handed a piece of paper. "The winner of the Yosuga Comedy Contest is…" The large screen above her showed the pictures of the team who won. "… the ShootsDown Duo: Nozomi and Kengo!"

We gaped at the screen. "What?" The other contestants gave us a smile and clapped. "W-we… won…?"

Kengo and I stared at each other in pure excitement. "We won?" We ran out to the stage. "W-w-whoa, wait! Really? We won? This isn't a dream, right?" The audience laughed again.

Momoan gave us a pat on the back. "Yes, you won! Congratulations, Nozomi and Kengo!" She gave us large trophy that had the words 'Yosuga Comedy Winners: ShootsDown Duo' engraved on a golden plaque.

"ShootsDown! ShootsDown! ShootsDown! ShootsDown!" the audience chanted.

"Why don't we get a little word from our own princes from Tobari City?" With that, the female audience burst into a loud fangirl-ism as Prince Shinji _and_ Prince Reiji stepped onto the stage!

"Everyone's comedy routines were very funny and original in their own way!" Prince Reiji stated. "What ShootsDown Duo had represented was determination and their joys of making everyone laugh. Don't you think so?" The audience clapped in agreement. "All the contestants are champions here. I thank you all for participating in the Yosuga Comedy Contest!"

Prince Shinji rolled his eyes, but he smirked. He got the microphone from Prince Reiji. "You guys were great. I'm sure you practiced a lot to get here, right?" His eyes led us to the opposite side of the stage, where Hikari was waving from behind the curtains.

"Congratulations, ShootsDown Duo."

~.~.~

Third Person's POV

"You're really a nice guy, you know?" Hikari poked Shinji's arm. "I didn't think you'd really tell them."

Shinji smirked. "You did show me and Contesta-San how much they were always practicing, didn't you?" He looked at how Kengo and Nozomi were talking excitedly about their victory. "Hn, they must be really happy."

Hikari nodded. "Of course they are." She smiled softly at them. "Their goal was and still is to make everyone laugh at their jokes. It's their thing, you know?"

"I know."

They continued to walk together while watching the two talk more of their comedy routines.

"Master Shinji?"

"Hm?"

Hikari smiled as she looked up at the stars. "Have you always wanted to wish on a star?"

Shinji raised a brow and blinked at her. "Where is this topic coming from?"

The blunette shrugged as a small blush was visible in her cheeks. "There's a wish I've been keeping to myself for a while." She looked at Shinji, her eyes shining like the stars. "Don't you have one, too?"

"Of course I do," Shinji replied. "But it's something that I should hide until the right time."

"Can you… tell me…?"

Shinji smirked again. "I'll tell you some other time."

Hikari pouted. "Fine. I won't tell you mine until you tell me yours, okay?"

"Deal."

~.~.~

_A/N: Alright… well… the next chapter will be its last, unfortunately… QAQ I thank all the readers who have supported this story so far! ^^ I repeat, the next chapter will its last! I hope you will read more of my other fanfics such as _**Mystique** _and _**Tobari Shinobi: Shinou Scandal**_! _

_I have to thank my Japanese friend who gave me a small inspiration to a few ideas to these comedy acts. Plus, I also have to thank the King of Comedy in Korea: Shim Hyung Rae! Most of these acts came from his own comedy routines, so… I'll have to do a disclaimer for that one… xDDD_

_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHIM HYUNG RAE'S COMEDY ACTS IN THIS CHAPTER!_


	9. The Hanami Ball, Part 1

_A/N: Okay, I know that I said that there's going to be a WINTER Ball. But I'm going to make it a Spring Hanami Ball. Besides, it's gonna be Spring soon. x3 *shot* I'll be reconstructing the chapter that says that there will be a winter ball. _

_Also, in this chapter, there WILL be some girl-and-guy trouble (obviously), but you'll love it! 8D WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS ONLY __HALF__ OF THE ACTUAL THING!_

_Hanami Festival is called Sakura(Cherry Blossom)-Viewing Festival. It is held during the Spring (obviously) in April, or at least when the Sakura are in full bloom. _

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
CH ****9.1****:**** The Hanami Ball, Pt. 1**

It was finally the day of the Hanami Festival! Everyone in Tobari Village was preparing for the most beautiful festival ever. The girls were wearing their cutest outfits as the guys wore a casual or formal outfit.

There was a commotion among the girls in every village. They all knew that it was a big day… _especially_ for the girls.

~.~.~

It was early in the morning and Hikari was already up and about. She was very excited about the Hanami Festival because her hometown was bringing a special Sakura tree to Tobari City! She would've loved to see her hometown's precious Sakura. It was the only kind that was unique in Shinou.

She dressed in her maid uniform and made her way to Shinji's room. "Master Shinji?" There was no reply so she knocked. "Are you awake?" There was still no reply. A vein popped in her forehead and she banged on the door. "Hey! Wake up, you plum-head!"

The door opened and Shinji's head popped out. Instead of calm and composed eyes, she was greeted with very groggy eyes. "I already heard you the first time. You _don't_ need to keep banging on my door." He scowled, slamming the door in front of her face.

Hikari stared at the door with wide eyes. She blinked. "Is there something wrong, Master Shinji?" She heard a sigh from behind the door. This was going to be risky, but she didn't want his sulking to ruin her day. "Plum-head…?" She thought she heard a very faint chuckle.

Shinji opened the door, but his eyes seemed a bit more apologetic. "Sorry for doing that." He looked back and forth before fully opening the door for her. "Come in."

"Um… Okay…" She entered his room and closed the door behind her as Shinji lied down on his bed. "What's wrong, Shinji? You've never acted like this before."

"Since when did you call me by a first-name basis?"

Hikari flushed. "I don't know. I've been your maid and your friend since I came here." She shrugged with a small blush on her cheeks. "It's been months already, so I'm just doing a little change." She rubbed the back of her head. "You don't mind if I call you just by your first name, right?"

"Nope…" Shinji turned around, somehow sounding pissed. "It's not like I hate the Hanami Festival. I'm pissed off at what has to happen after the Sakura season ends."

"Huh?" she murmured. "What do you mean?"

Shinji sat up, his midnight black eyes boring into her blue ones. "I am to get a fiancée by the end of the Hanami Ball."

That almost stopped Hikari's heart. "A f-fiancée?" she squeaked. "B-but, why so early? You're still young!" Hikari approached Shinji with wide eyes. "Are you serious? You have to get one by the end of tonight?"

"That's what Aniki told me." Shinji sighed, gripping the blanket. He growled, trying to suppress his anger. "Besides, if someone found out you're my maid, you're going to be in trouble." He looked at her with faint concern in his eyes. "And I don't mean trouble as in 'arrested' trouble. I mean it as something that will break your well-being."

Hikari placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure I'll be fine." She leaned in to his ear. "Don't worry, Shinji. I'm sure you'll find a great fiancée." She pulled back and quickly bowed. "I'll be leaving then."

Shinji grabbed her wrist. "Wait…" He bit his lower lip. "You're coming to the Spring Hanami Ball, right?"

"Of course, Master Shinji." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it was stuck. "Why wouldn't I?" When Shinji released her, she quickly made her way to her room. Hikari slid down her door, blankly staring outside the large window by her bed. A tear escaped her eye without her knowing. "Shinji's… going to be engaged…"

Meanwhile, Shinji sighed. He stared at the keyhole of his door, finding it covered up with something blue. "Does it bother you?"

Hikari turned red, realizing that he saw her through the keyhole. "S-sorry! I-I'll g-go now!" She quickly stood up and rushed to her room. When she entered, she saw Kasumi and Haruka. "Kasumi? Haruka?"

The two turned their heads to Hikari, whose eyes were watery. "Hikari… What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," the blunette replied. "I just heard that Shinji has to get engaged by the end of summer."

Kasumi and Haruka exchanged worried glances. "You mean… he's going to get a fiancée?" they shouted. They ushered Hikari to her bed and sat down beside her. "Did he tell you that?"

"Yes." Hikari fell backwards and let her bed catch her. "Why now…?" She covered her face with her hands. "I hate this!"

Haruka stared at her with wide, curious eyes. "Why, Hikari? Did you do something?"

Hikari sat up, revealing her flushed face. "I-it's not like I did something…" She scratched her head in embarrassment. "I, uh, I… you see… Shinji… I…"

"You _like_ him?" the brunette exclaimed. Hikari didn't even _need_ to answer. When it came to Haruka and love signs, she was a professional at finding them. "Oh my gosh, no _way!_" she squealed. "Are you serious? You really like him?"

"Haruka, be quiet!" Kasumi whispered. "Geez, this has taken an expected turn of events…"

The blunette blinked. "E-expected…?"

Kasumi nervously laughed. "Um… You see…" She gave Haruka a shrug. "We sorta expected you to start liking Shinji. We pretty much started expecting when you had dance lessons with Shinji."

Hikari turned pink. "Eh? S-so you mean…" She stammered while pointing at Haruka. "Haruka… You…"

"That's right!" Haruka chimed. "I noticed some… changes in your attitude towards him." She playfully stuck her tongue out and poked Hikari's cheek. "What can I say?"

"Aw, man!" Hikari whined. "I hoped I wasn't too obvious…" She did a facepalm while Kasumi and Haruka were all over her. "But… he's going to get engaged now…"

Suddenly, the mood went down the drain. Kasumi and Haruka sighed, placing their hands on Hikari's shoulders.

"You know, you can always tell Shinji your true feelings."

"That was my thought exactly!" Haruka exclaimed. "Why don't you tell him your feelings?"

Hikari shook her head. "He probably won't return them. I mean, I bet all the girls around the whole region will come to this ball – hoping that he'll ask their hand in marriage!" She sighed, resting her cheek on her hand. "I don't think I'll compare to any of them."

Kasumi stood up and grabbed Hikari's shoulders. "I got an idea. Why don't we go to the mall and dress you up for the Hanami Ball?"

Haruka nodded, hopping off the bed. "And you should go to that event where all the girls will line up to introduce themselves to Shinji."

"Um… why…?" Hikari blinked.

The two gave her sneaky glances. "They'll line up to introduce themselves, so they can become his fiancée!" Haruka clasped Hikari's hands in hers. "You _need_ to go in that line and tell him your true feelings!"

"Wait, wha-?"

Kasumi gasped. "That is a great idea! It'll be perfect!" Her cerulean eyes sparkled with joy. "You've been with Shinji the longest compared to other girls _and_ maids!" She shook Hikari by the shoulders. "Who knows? He might even like you back and propose to you!"

Hikari shook her head, waving her hands in front of her face frantically. "No, no, no, no, no!" Her face was redder than before. "There is no way I'm going to go there!"

Suddenly, her door opened and revealed Leaf and Nozomi. "Hey, girls! When are we going to dress everyone up for the Hanami Ball?"

"Yeah, we got a lot of outfits for you girls!" Nozomi came out with her arms full of beautiful dresses.

But when they saw Hikari, they stared with blank eyes. "Um… When did…?"

"I got here a few minutes ago," Hikari replied. "But uh… when did you get all those dresses…?" Her blue eyes widened at how many were hanging at each of their arms. "Wow, don't you think that's a lot of dresses for you to try on?"

Leaf shrugged. "Well, some of these are dresses we bought when we first met. Some of these are what we bought just yesterday!" She smirked. "Come on, Hikari, it'll be fun! You have _plenty_ of time before the Hanami Ball."

Nozomi gave Hikari a nod. "That's right. The ball starts at sunset, so we can get you ready as long as we want – until sunset." She laughed nervously. "Even I'm not actually one to wear those girly dresses, I'll make an exception since Kengo wants to dance with me."

Hikari giggled. "Oh yeah, I remember." She smiled slyly at Nozomi. "He totally returned your feelings through comedy. Now _that_ is what I call ingenious."

Nozomi rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah, I get it." Leaf and she laid the dresses across Hikari's bed. "Alright, the dresses in my arms are the ones we bought yesterday. Leaf has the ones we bought a few months ago. What do you think?"

Kasumi looked at the dresses and nodded. "Since the Hanami Ball theme is semi-formal, these dresses are perfect. Not too formal; not too casual." She scanned the clothes again, glancing at each of us. "Hmmm… Which dresses do you think would fit Haruka?"

Leaf tapped her chin. "Haruka loves the color 'red', obviously. Why don't we choose the ones that are red?" The girls agreed, knowing that Haruka would refuse any other dress – unless it was red. They picked out the dresses that were red and let Haruka try each of them.

One dress was knee-length with spaghetti straps on it. The chiffon skirt was slightly puffy while the waistline showed her curves. The skirt was adorned with sheer fabric of different shades of red. She twirled and the skirt spread widely.

The next dress was strapless and it reached to her mid-thighs. It had small frills on the rim of the dress. The skirt flowed like water, especially when she spun around. A medium-sized ribbon was tied behind the back.

The last one was a little simpler. It had no sleeves, but there were straps. The dress reached to her knees with small ribbons sewn on the rim. The dress seemed a bit tighter than the other ones, but it seemed fit for slow dancing.

"So what do you think?"

The girls recalled all the dresses Haruka wore. After a few minutes of thinking, they had to turn to Hikari for help.

Hikari put her hands to her chin, thinking. "Well, the Hanami Ball is a semi-formal one, right?" As they nodded, she snapped her fingers. "If that's so, I think you should take the last one out." Haruka returned the last dress back to the bed. "The first one shows her curves and it fits quite nicely with her personality, since it's… pretty fiery and all. The second one is really pretty and it fits her figure perfectly."

Kasumi smiled. "That's great, Hikari!" She turned to Haruka. "What do you think?"

Haruka glanced at both dresses with a focused expression. "I like how Hikari described the first dress with my personality, so I'll wear that one!" She separated the said dress apart from the others. "Alright, it's Kasumi's turn!"

"Eh… Alright…" Kasumi looked at the laid dresses. "I wonder what color would look good on me."

"How about yellow or gold?" Hikari blurted out. She turned red from embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to-"

Leaf gasped. "Oh my gosh, you're right! Kasumi really does look good with yellow!" The brunette giggled. "You are such a genius when it comes to fashion, Hikari!"

Hikari blushed. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not that good. I just sorta say what I think sometimes…"

Kasumi giggled, patting the blunette on the head. "It's fine, Hikari. Just say whatever you think is good to tell us, okay?" She picked out the ones that were yellow or gold. There were only five dresses that were yellow or gold.

In the end, she chose a dress that reached her mid-thighs at one side as it descended down to her knees on the other side. There were straps that held the dress up, along with some golden jewelry and ribbons decorating the top of the dress.

"Wow, Kasumi…" Leaf gaped. "I think that's, like, a perfect match for you."

The carrot-top crossed her arms, smiling. "I really like this dress too."

Hikari nodded, agreeing with everyone else. "Same here! Kasumi is a tomboy, and the style of the dress – especially the bottom – shows it. Plus, the jewelry and ribbons show that she's also very kind."

"Oh really? Do you think so?"

"Of course!" Haruka chimed. "This dress really suits you, Kasumi. You definitely should wear that for the ball."

Leaf tilted her head. "Satoshi's coming as your date, right?" She smirked when Kasumi's face flushed red. "Aha, I thought so…"

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "I bet you're going with Shigeru, right?"

The brunette shook her head. "No. He didn't ask." She snorted, not seeming to care for a moment. "He's probably going to go with some fangirl of his." Leaf threw her head back as she laughed. "He just never learns, does he?"

Hikari and Nozomi shot each other a worried look.

"Hey, Leaf?" Hikari called. "Is there something wrong?"

Leaf lowered her head, being silent for a few seconds. "I think I may be in almost the same situation as you, Hikari." She sighed, staring at the clear blue sky outside the window. "You want to be with Shinji, right?"

Hikari blushed. "Wh-wh-what? I-I… uh…!"

Kasumi sat next to Leaf on the bed. "You love Shigeru, don't you?"

Leaf sighed again, nodding. "I don't love him as a prince – like how all his fangirls do – I love him as a guy who I've been with for a long time." She frowned, leaning against a pillow. "Shigeru probably doesn't know about my feelings. I bet he only sees me as a rival and childhood friend."

Kasumi hugged her sad friend. "Don't worry, Leaf. I'm sure your feelings will go through today." She gave her a confident smile. "You know what? I think you should ask him to go to the ball with you!"

"Wha-?"

Haruka gasped in joy. "Yes! Yes! You should _totally_ do that!" She giggled, excited for tonight. "It looks like we have a lot of treats today, huh?"

Nozomi chuckled. "We sure do."

~.~.~

Meanwhile, Shinji was walking around the city with Shigeru.

"It's best not to reveal yourself again like last time," Shinji muttered. "Remember when that day when you had that breakdance battle with, um, Leaf?"

Shigeru rolled his eyes. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that receptionist was temporarily replaced with another girl?" He slightly moved his beanie cap up to let some sunlight shine at his face. "So, Shiro, do you have anyone you want to take to the Hanami Ball?"

Shinji exhaled, crossing his arms. "Why should I tell you?"

"Stubborn as ever, huh?" Shigeru nudged Shinji on the arm. "You will have to choose a fiancée by tonight, don't you?" He smirked. "I'm sure you have someone you like too."

"And your point?"

Shigeru chuckled. "Ah, so you do like someone. Who is it?"

"I'm not telling you, Sora-San."

Yes, they were still in public with their disguises on. If they called each other by their actual names, who knew what would've happened? Well, only Shinji and Shigeru were able to predict that.

"C'mon, Shinji," Shigeru whispered under his breath. "I'm sure you'll have to reveal it by tonight if you don't want to get engaged to some other girl, right?"

A vein was throbbing on Shinji's forehead. He was becoming impatient with Shigeru's questions. "What about you? Are you going to take someone to the ball?"

Shigeru smiled, looking back at Tobari Palace. "Yeah, I have a certain brunette in mind." He turned to Shinji again, continuing his attack of questions. "So how does the girl you like look like?"

"Blue."

"Blue what?" Shigeru was becoming more interested. "Blue eyes? Blue hair? Blue necklace? Blue what?"

Shinji smirked. "I'm not telling you until you describe the girl I like for me."

Shigeru groaned. "Ugh…"

~.~.~

"Alright, so we got Haruka and Kasumi down," Nozomi stated. "I think Leaf should be next."

Leaf jumped up excitedly. "Give me green dresses! Give me green dresses!" She was like such a little kid when she asked for green clothing. There were four green dresses and she quickly took them to the restroom. "Sweet!"

They snorted in laughter. "Typical Leaf…"

The first dress was green, loose-fitting, and hung from the chest. Slightly wide straps kept the dress in place. The dress reached to her mid-calves. Green rhinestones and a light green sheet of sheer fabric decorated it. String was loosely tied into a ribbon in the front of the waist.

The next dress was a very light green and reached her knees. It had no straps on the shoulders but on the arms. The dress had a design that showed off her curves. The back of the dress revealed half of her back. She twirled and the skirt followed along with her smoothly.

The third dress was a forest green that reached to her mid-thighs. The dress was like a shirt and skirt, except they were attached together. The sleeves barely went over the shoulders and the hems had ruffles on them. The skirt also had some ruffles on them. A small sash was tied where the line between the skirt and the top.

The last one seemed familiar to Hikari. She then remembered that the last dress was from Lovely Togekiss, the shop she first met Leaf. It was a lime green dress that extended to the knees. It had a low-cut blouse with small frills on the hem of the dress.

"So what do you think?" Leaf asked.

The girls gave it some thought. "Hmmm…"

Leaf also thought about it. "What do you think, Hikari?"

Hikari blinked. "Eh?" She shifted in her position. "Well, I liked the second dress. Personally, I don't think ruffles and something very loose doesn't match you very well." She pointed to the light green dress. "Let's go with that one. I think you should wear a dress that shows your curves."

"You think so?" Leaf held the dress up. "Heh, do you think Shigeru might like it?"

Kasumi smiled, tapping her finger on her chin. "I think it's highly possible." She shrugged, still smiling. "You can never know, right?"

Leaf giggled. "I guess so." She looked at Nozomi. "It's Nozomi's turn!"

Nozomi shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. I already chose my dress."

"You already did?" Haruka exclaimed. "Well, don't just stand there! Show us!"

"Alright, alright." Nozomi got a bag and went into the restroom. She soon came out with her dress*. The top was cape-like, but the front was cut like a shirt. Below was a turquoise skirt that just barely reached her knees. It was a little loose, too. The top had a yellow design at the right. "I wasn't too sure, but I really liked this one."

"I think this might fit you," Hikari approached Nozomi and looked around her. "Yeah, this might go well." She grinned. "I can't wait to see Kengo's face when he sees you in a _dress_!"

Nozomi rolled her eyes and laughed. "Okay, you had your fun. It's your turn now."

Hikari was silent. "… Why?" she complained. "I'm pretty sure it's gonna be useless! I might as well appear as just his maid, for crying out loud!"

"Oh no, you're not," Haruka and Kasumi grabbed Hikari and dragged her to the restroom. "Leaf, hand me all the blue dresses there are while Kasumi holds Hikari down!"

"Coming!" Leaf grabbed every shade of blue possible. Nozomi also helped. They went inside the restroom to help Hikari with the dresses.

"_**Gah!**__"_ …___"__**No, wait!**__"_ …___"__**Come on, guys!**__"_ …___"__**OH, FINE! I'll wear them!**__"_

~.~.~

Shinji was walking around the palace, a little anxious about the Hanami Ball. And everyone knew that an anxious – even a little – Shinji was not a good thing.

Reiji approached his little brother. "Hey, Shinji. Are you thinking about the ball?"

"What do you think?" he quickly grunted. "Do I have to find a fiancée by tonight? That's a little too early, don't you think?" His eyes slightly flashed red with frustration. "Deciding on a fiancée isn't as easy as you think, Aniki."

"I know what you mean," Reiji replied. "But for me, I have to marry someone."

Shinji blinked. "Wait, what?"

"That's right." Reiji shrugged, laughing nervously.

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I already know who you're planning to propose to, Aniki. There's no need for you to go around dancing with other girls to know them better." He exhaled. "Meanwhile, I have to face what-will-seem-to-be hundreds of girls from all over the region who wants to be engaged with me." He scratched his head frustratingly. "Damn it, can you see what this is doing to me right now?"

Reiji bit his lower lip, sweatdropping. "Yeah, you must be really nervous about this…" In fact, Reiji was a little worried. Even he never saw Shinji in this state.

"I wouldn't say nervous." Shinji took a deep breath to calm him down. This might've been the first time he was so… out-of-character. "I'd say I'm more uncomfortable about engaging at this age…"

"It's understandable, Shinji." Reiji sighed, taking out two small boxes. "I'm pretty sure you know what these are, right?"

Shinji nodded. "Mine is an engagement ring, while yours is a marriage ring…" He mentally smacked himself. "Let me see the engagement ring."

Reiji gave him the purple box on his right. Shinji opened it to see a diamond ring. It was about 5 mm with a white gold band and platinum plating. "Well, this isn't too bad."

"Yeah… I thought this might've been a good choice too…"

"What about yours?"

Reiji opened his box. It was a gold band with three diamonds embedded inside. The diamond in the center was transparent while the other two were a beautiful pink. "I thought it suits her, you know?"

Shinji gazed at it for a while. "Yeah, it does. When are you going to ask, though?"

"I'll ask after you do." Reiji put his ring box in his pocket. "Keep that with you, Shinji."

"Fine." With that, Shinji walked back to his room. His finger kept anxiously rubbing the top of the box. "There's no way around it, huh…?" He lied down on his bed, staring up at the blank ceiling. "A fiancée… at this age…?" He sighed, taking out the ring box and holding it up in the air. "Why now, of all times?"

There was a knock on the door. Shinji quickly hid the box in his pocket. "Come in."

Hikari entered his room, dressed in some casual clothing. "Looks like you were here then." She stood around idly, fiddling with her fingers. "Do you mind if I can just hang around here and talk?"

"Sure, whatever."

She pulled out her usual chair and sat down beside Shinji's bed. "There are only a few hours away until the Hanami Ball, huh?"

Shinji blew away some strands of hair. "Yes… only a few hours…" He glanced at Hikari in her casual clothing. She was also wearing a coach bag. "Are you going out to the Hanami right now?"

"Of course, but I wanted to talk with you first before I go," Hikari smiled. "I can't wait until the Hanami Ball. I bet you'll be introduced to so many girls." She slightly lowered her head. "Is it true that _all_ the girls around your age have to be introduced?"

"Yeah," he replied. "But it's only the girls who _want_ to get engaged with me… Plus, they have to be the same age as me, one or two years younger, or one year older than me." Shinji groaned, leaning his head against the wooden wall of the bed. "This is so troublesome… I don't understand why I have to be engaged by tonight."

"Me neither," Hikari agreed. She turned red when she realized what she said. "W-w-well, I mean… It's pretty early for you to engage, don't you think? You just started your teen years after all."

Shinji sighed, thinking about the ring in his pocket. "I know." He stared at the ceiling with blank eyes. "But I've got no choice." He glanced at Hikari. "Why do you ask? You're not going to be in that line too, right?"

Hikari giggled. "Who knows? You can never know what I'll do, right?" She laughed whole-heartedly, imagining herself in the line. She was curtsying in front of a shocked Shinji.

Suddenly, the prince slightly blushed. "You're right. You're really unpredictable at times…" He smirked. "The only time you're really predictable is when you're angry. You always try to hurt me in some way."

"_HEY!"_ she screeched, making Shinji plug his ears.

"Exactly…" Shinji still smirked as he moved his fingers away from his ears. "You just tried to hurt my hearing. Thank you for the attempt."

Hikari's eye twitched in irritation. "Ugh… Shut up." She fiddled with her fingers once more before standing up. "Anyways, I'll be going to the festival. Do you want to come with me?"

Shinji looked at the clock. "Well, I have a lot of time. Why not?" He got off his bed and opened his closet. "Get out of my room. I'm going to change." Hikari did so. He quickly changed into a collared shirt and jeans. He also got a blue cap to hide his purple hair. "Alright, I'm ready." He stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him.

"Awesome!" She grabbed his wrist and made their way out of the palace – through their usual secret exit. "Have you ever gone to the Hanami festival by yourself or anything?"

"To be honest, no." Shinji shook his head. "I was always stuck at home, getting ready for the Hanami Ball."

Hikari's jaw hung open. "You're kidding!" When she saw Shinji's eyes, she bit her lower lip. "Apparently you're not joking…" She clasped his hands with hers. "Then, I'll make this part of the festival your best. I guarantee it." She smiled and they walked towards the stream of people. "Let's go, Shiro."

"Oh wait…" Shinji slightly pulled Hikari back. "You're going as yourself today?"

She simply grinned. "Of course I am." With that, she put a beanie cap on. "It'd be no fun if I went as a guy, you know?"

Shinji chuckled. "I guess so." As he willingly let Hikari drag him around, his lips curved up to form a small smile. They approached a lone cherry blossom tree on top of a hill. The view of Tobari City from there was a beautiful sight! "Is this why you chose here?"

Hikari nodded. "That's right! I don't think a lot of people look around here much, so I thought this tree would be great!" She looked down the city, leaning against the tree. "Plus, this tree was near that field when we first met. Do you remember?"

"Ah, I remember." He turned around to see the field down the hill. "Huh, I never thought you'd actually see it from here."

"Neither did I!" she giggled. After a moment of silence, she took out a blanket and spread it across the grass. Then she sat down. "Tell me if you want to go back down there. We can go do a lot of stuff and eat food." She dug into her coach bag. "Speaking of food, I made some just for today." She put her finger to her lower lip. "Hmmm… I also invited Kei-San and Sumomo-San, but I wonder if they're coming…"

"You invited them too?" Shinji also sat down beside her.

Hikari looked at her lunchbox. "Yeah, but I have a feeling that they might want to be alone today." She playfully stuck out her tongue. "I know a little secret of Sumomo-San."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "I know what you mean. That woman is too easy to read…"

"That's only during certain occasions, you know." Suddenly, a growl was heard between them. Shinji's eye twitched. Hikari burst into uncontrollable laughter. She couldn't stop laughing. "Oh my gosh, your stomach… you stomach…!" She laughed like crazy. "Ahaha! That was the best thing I've ever heard from you!"

"S-shut up…" Shinji muttered. "I didn't really have breakfast this morning."

Hikari eventually stopped laughing. "Well then, that's all the more reason to eat right now." She untied the handkerchief to reveal so many colorful foods. There were bunny rabbits, omelets, rice, some fish, and more!

"Um, you made all this… when?"

"I made them this morning," she replied. "It's not as difficult as you think if you cook well."

Shinji rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, yeah…" He was pretty sure that Takeshi must've helped her somehow. Hikari handed him a pair of chopsticks and set the lunchboxes down. "Itadakimasu*."

They started eating their fill as they watched the people enjoy their time of the festival.

Hikari smiled sadly as she watched the cherry blossoms sway in the breeze. She knew that her time in Tobari City was going to be short. Once Shinji chose a girl to marry, she'll have to go back to Futaba Town. _Engagement, huh?_ Her smile grew a little sadder at the thought. _It looks like I won't be here for long, Shinji…_

"Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Hikari slightly blushed. "O-oh! O-of course! I'm totally fine!" She laughed nervously. "Sorry, was I spacing out?"

Shinji blinked. "A little…" He finished his fill and set it down next to Hikari's lunchbox. "Thanks for the food*." He relaxed as he stared out into the blue sky. There was not a single cloud to be seen. "It looks like rain won't be bothering the ball tonight, huh?"

Hikari nodded. "Yeah…" She glanced at the Tobari Palace, which looked very pretty from her view. "Shinji, why don't we forget about the whole ball and engagement thing for now and have fun?"

"It's easier said than done, Troublesome Girl," he murmured. "Being engaged is a big thing, not something that you can easily brush off."

"O-oh, of course!" Hikari flapped her arms about. "S-s-sorry! I shouldn't have said anything…" She stacked the empty boxes and wrapped them up with her handkerchief. "Hey, Shinji…?"

"What?"

"How would you feel if I was one of those girls who wanted to be engaged with you?" She turned red. "U-uh… You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I'm just a little curious."

Shinji thought about his answer. "Well… to be honest, I think it'd be awkward," he paused, "but it's not like I'll mind."

Hikari looked a little surprised. "Really?"

He shrugged. "I guess so. Why do you ask?"

"N-no reason…!"

"… Alright, then." He raised a brow at Hikari's jumpiness, but shrugged it off. "Oh yeah, where's Kasumi-San, Haruka-San, Leaf-San, and the others?"

Hikari looked at the grove of trees below. "They're all probably partying with each other down there. Kasumi invited us to join them when we want to." She smiled at Shinji. "Do you want to join them?"

"Why not?"

The blunette smiled. "Yay! C'mon, let's go!" They both went downhill to join the party with their friends. They soon managed to spot the whole gang there. "This is like a full-house party!" she laughed.

"Sit down, Hikari and Shiro-Kun!" Haruka offered. "If you already ate when you came here, you're right on time! We finished eating and we're about to do some fun stuff."

Hikari tilted her head. "Oh, what kind of stuff?"

"You know, the usual!" Nozomi replied. "Singing, dancing, riding boats, and stuff!" She clasped her hands together. "In fact, I think Hikari should sing for us first!"

"Wait, what?" Hikari shouted. "I-I don't wanna sing…!"

Kasumi clapped her hands together. "Sing, Hikari, sing!" Then, it became a chant that caught some groups' attentions. "Hikari! Hikari! Hikari! Hikari!"

Hikari pouted. "F-fine… Just one song, okay…?"

Haruka giggled in joy. "Go for it!"

"Ahem…" Hikari coughed to clear her voice. "I-I'll sing a song called 'Ashita Kuru Hi'… Sorry if I ever go off-key…" She took a deep breath and hummed the first notes of the song. After a few more notes, her song escaped her lips with a gentle and soft tune. The words came out so beautifully. Everyone looked a little surprised, but smiles were all around.

_Haru ni saku hana__ [Flowers That Bloom in Spring]__  
Natsu hirogaru sora yo__ [The Sky Spreads in Summer]__  
Kokoro no naka ni  
Kizamarete kirameku_

It slowly caught the attention of the grounds surrounding them. Shinji was watching her, his eyes wide with awe and amazement. Hikari paid no mind to anything and continued to sing.

_Yorokobi kanashimi [Joy and Sorrow]  
Subete idaite aruite iru [I Hold Everything Close as I'm Walking]  
Watashi no te to [They Firmly Hold]  
Kimi no te wo [My Hand]  
Tsuyoku tsunagu mono [With Your Hand Together]_

Hikari sang with all her heart. _That's right,_ she thought, _I was always holding our time everyday close to me._ She closed her eyes, recalling the times with Shinji. The song she was singing held the feelings that were inside her. It was happiness, love, and even a little sadness.

_Yoru ga kuru tabi [Every time night comes]  
Inori o sasageyou [Let's offer a prayer]  
Ashita kuru hi o [Let's quietly greet]  
Shizuka ni mukaeyou [The day to come tomorrow]_

_If Shinji gets engaged to another girl, I'll greet tomorrow with a smile… and a farewell,_ she thought. She put her hands together over her heart. _I'll be praying for your happiness, Shinji… always…_

Her song soon came to an end. She opened her eyes to see every group watching her. They all applauded, showing pure happiness.

Hikari slightly blushed from embarrassment. "I… I might've gotten too much into the song…" She sat back down, turning redder.

"No way, you were great!" Satoshi complimented.

"Yeah, people noticed you at the first verse of the song. I guess that's how good you are, huh?"

Shinji smirked. "Hn, how come you never told me you were talented at singing?"

Hikari blushed again. "I-I'm not _that_ talented…"

Leaf giggled. "Well, that's not what others think. I just heard some groups wanting you to sing another song."

Nozomi wrapped an arm around Hikari's neck. "C'mon, Hikari. Do it for some entertainment!"

The blunette pouted. "Weren't we going to do other stuff too…?"

"Just one more song, please?" Haruka pleaded. "I think everyone will be satisfied if you do."

Hikari puffed her cheeks, but she gave in to it. "O-oh, fine… One last song…" She sighed, scratching her head. "But what song should I sing?"

Kasumi smirked, knowing just the perfect song. "I got it!" She whispered in Hikari's ear. "How about it?" When she saw Hikari's eyes beam, she giggled. "Alright, let's do this!"

Hikari sang a lively song that got everyone dancing their hearts out. After that, the group went on to do other things.

~.~.~

It was about three hours before the start of the ball. There was only one hour left before Shinji, Hikari, Kasumi, and Haruka had to leave to get prepared. At that hour, everyone split into couples and went to where they wanted to go. Satoshi was with Kasumi, Shuu with Haruka, Shigeru with Leaf, Kengo with Nozomi, and Shinji with Hikari.

Shinji and Hikari went to that same cherry blossom tree they were a few hours ago. They sat on the warm grass, staring at the sun that was inches away from sinking under the horizon.

"So how was today?" Hikari asked. "Was it fun? Interesting? Boring?"

"Hn, I can't say it was boring," Shinji replied. "I actually had fun for once." He smirked, recalling when Hikari sang for everyone. "I didn't think you had it in you to sing so well."

Hikari pouted. "Hey! I'm pretty sure you've heard me sing before!" She crossed her arms, her cheeks puffing out again.

Shinji chuckled. "Well, you're right. I did hear you sing before, but I thought it was someone else in the palace." He shrugged his shoulders. After staring at the sky, he sighed. "The ball is going to be very soon, huh…?" He saw the blunette face drop. "What's wrong?"

Hikari picked at a string that was sticking out of the rim of the bag. "I'm… thinking of going back to Futaba Town after the Hanami Ball."

Shinji perked his head up, looking surprised. "You're… what? You're going to go back?" He looked at her in shock and concern. "But why?"

"I'm… just not sure if I'll be able to handle being with you once you're engaged." Hikari tugged on the string. "I mean, it'll give people and your fiancée the wrong idea." She pulled her knees together, resting her chin on them. "You should know that…"

Shinji suddenly placed his hand close to hers, as if he wanted to grab her hand. "Don't… go," he muttered under his breath.

"H-huh? What is it, Shinji?"

Shinji then realized what he had said and shook his head. "I-it's nothing." He turned his head to another direction. _Why did I… say that…?_

"Um… okay." Her brows slightly furrowed in confusion, but she brushed it off. "I hope you find a great girl to engage with."

"It's not as easy as it sounds, though," Shinji murmured. "The line of girls has to bow and tell me their names. Then when I have to dance with them, I have to know them in just five minutes."

Hikari's eyes widened. "F-five minutes? Wow, that's a bit too fast, don't you think?"

"It can't be helped," he sighed, "You'll see why it has to be five minutes when you see the line."

He crouched down, leaning against the tree. He dug his head in his arms, hiding the blush that suddenly came up. "… Seriously…?" He couldn't suppress the blush at all! It was useless. "What's wrong with me…?"

Meanwhile, Hikari waited for him at the base of the hill. "I wonder what happened with Shinji…" She looked back up, seeing the blossoms but not Shinji. "Um… Shinji?" she called, "Is everything alright?"

Shinji then appeared, walking down the hill. "I'm coming, I'm coming…" He reached the base of the hill, meeting Hikari's concerned look. His cheeks were a little warm. "Let's go."

With that, they went on their way to the palace.

The Hanami Ball was only a few hours away. It was finally time for Shinji to prepare meeting many girls that night. To him, it was going to be one hell of a exhausting night. To Hikari, it was going to be one interesting and slightly sad night.

~.~.~

_A/N: And that concludes the first half of the actual chapter. I don't really want to overwhelm you guys with the length. Plus, I want to keep my word count consistent. xDDD *shot* The second half will come next month. And trust me… it will be interesting. :3_

_*Nozomi's dress – It's similar to the first dress Nozomi wore for her Pokémon Contest._

_*Itadakimasu – It's just a phrase you say before eating. So I guess you can say, "Let's eat!"? xD_

_*Thanks for the food – The Japanese phrase for this is 'gochisousama'._


	10. The Hanami Ball, Part 2

_A/N: It was IkariShipping Day on June 28! ^^ How did you guys spend your time on IkariShipping Day?_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
****Final ****C****hapter****:**** Hanami Ball, Part 2 **

Hikari took a deep breath. It was only hours away from the start of the ball. The girls were in Hikari's large room, wearing their beautiful dresses for the Hanami Ball. She watched her best friends put on their dresses, squealing and beaming with excitement and joy.

Leaf noticed the blunette's unusual blankness. She approached Hikari, sitting next to her on the bed. "Hikari? What's wrong?" She placed a hand on Hikari's shoulder. "If you're worried about you and Shinji's feelings, I'm sure yours will reach him. Even though it's possible that he might not return them, I'm sure he'll accept them with an open heart. Hmmm… Then again, I should be saying that to myself – since I love Shigeru and all."

Just from those words, Hikari smiled. "Thanks, Leaf." She stood up, determined about the ball. "You know what? Even if I do love Shinji, that won't stop me from having fun today!" She pumped up a fist. "No need to worry!"

Nozomi sweatdropped. "… That's when I get worried the most…"

"Now there's the Hikari we know!" Kasumi laughed.

Haruka giggled at the blunette's sudden change of behavior. "Alright, Hikari! Why don't you go change into your dress? We should go down with you since we're your best friends, you know?"

Hikari rolled her eyes smugly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you'd want the attention." That earned her a smack in the head. She took her dress and went into the restroom.

_Lines of girls… Five minutes… me…_ She continued to think about it as she undressed her clothes. She grabbed the dress and examined it carefully. _I hope this will look good on me,_ she thought, _I… want to look my best for Shinji._

Outside her whole room, someone stood in the shadows near the door. The person smiled, silently chuckling to themselves. "Heh, so that's how it is…" With that, they slipped away without a sound.

Hikari came out, fully dressed. The girls squealed at how beautiful she looked. They did enough squealing for each other, really.

"Okay, I swear… You are _sooo_ gonna get Shinji!" Haruka giggled.

Kasumi smiled and approached Hikari. "Okay, let's do our hair and make-up, shall we?"

"Let's do Nozomi and Kasumi first!" Haruka exclaimed. "I've _always_ wanted to do their hair and make-up!"

Nozomi laughed nervously. "Um, but how are you going to style my hair? It's so short that I don't think you can even style it very well…" She saw a gleam in Haruka's eyes. "You already thought of something… didn't you?" When Haruka nodded, Nozomi sighed. "Well… alright… I guess it won't hurt…"

"Sweet!" Hikari giggled. The girls went to work on their hair. It only took them about half an hour to finish. They brought the two hand mirrors and giggled.

"Is this… really me?" Nozomi gasped. "Huh… I don't think I'd mind going around like this once in a while…" Nozomi's usual tomboy-ish messy hair became more feminine. Her bangs were combed to the side with the bangs pinned with a pink flower barrette. A red hairband with a tiny ribbon adorned her head. Her hair was slightly curled in the back.

Kasumi took a look at her hair. "Huh, this is better than what I expected." Her usual one-pigtail was untied. Instead of one pigtail up, they tied two pigtails in the bottom of the back of her head. One side of her hair was pinned behind her ear.

Kasumi turned to Haruka. "Now it's your turn." She seated them on the bed as the girls prepared to do her hair. "We'll make sure that you love it!"

When they finished, they held up the mirrors up to them. Haruka gasped for a moment and gazed at the mirror.

"… I don't even look like myself…" Haruka gawked. "What in the world happened to me…?" The strands of hair sticking out at the side were brushed down along with the back of her hair. Her whole hair was brushed down flatly to her head. Her side bangs were neatly brushed to the side with a red shiny pin clipped to her hair. "How do you guys do this?"

The girls exchanged sneaky glances. "We have our ways."

"Leaf and Hikari's turn!" Haruka squealed. All the girls began to work on their hair. When they were done, Leaf was wide-eyed with her hair style. "Wow… I'm not sure if Shigeru will even notice me. I love it!" As for Leaf, her long hair was tied into a braid. A hair tie held it together, but a green ribbon covered it to look cute. The sides of her hair were loosely tied along with her braid, making small loops in her hair. A leaf barrette was pinned to the side of her head.

Hikari's jaw was hanging open. She blinked several times, realizing that it was not a daydream. "Um… This is… amazing. How do you guys do this?" Hikari pumped up a fist. "Anyways, are we ready to go?"

The others also pumped up a fist. "Yeah!" They gracefully walked out of Hikari's room and made their way to the ballroom. Fortunately, there was an hour left until the start.

When they arrived, they already found a small line of girls dressed in beautiful ball gown. They were lined up near the front of the throne, glaring at each other. It was quite obvious that they had some competition… _a LOT _of competition. Shinji and Reiji weren't in the room yet, so they spent all the time they had to glare.

The five girls who just entered sweatdropped at the dark aura emitted by the line of girls. One girl was added to the line every minute! Now Hikari knew why Shinji had to know their whole life in just five minutes.

"Wow… That's… a lot of girls…" Hikari breathed. "I'm not even sure if I can go up against them, guys…" She fiddled with her thumbs nervously, knowing that the girls in that line must be very pretty.

"Oh geez…" Nozomi put an arm around Hikari. "Come on, don't you be getting cold feet now. It'll be fine, we guarantee it." She gave her a reassuring smile and patted her back. "Just make sure you don't make us worry about you, got it?"

"And now it's your turn to make your dancing shine! The dance lessons would all go to waste if you forgot them now," Haruka giggled. "Relax, go with the flow, and dance to your heart's content!" She added a little twirl.

"Good luck, Hikari and Leaf," Kasumi held their hands and gave them a squeeze. "I know both of you will get your guy. I just… know it." She smiled and released their hands.

Leaf and Hikari took a deep breath. "Thank you." They looked at the door, finding some very familiar people. "Hey, it looks like your dates are here!"

Kasumi looked to find Satoshi in a good-looking black tuxedo. Nozomi turned to find Kengo approaching her in a dark blue tuxedo. Haruka already knew what Shuu was wearing and giving to her. Shuu was wearing a pure white tuxedo with a bouquet of lovely flowers.

The girls who had dates went to give them a hug. Hikari and Leaf went somewhere else to give them their privacy. Hikari and Leaf stood in opposite walls of each other.

Just when leaf was going to stand somewhere else, someone stopped her. They gently tapped her shoulder and she wheeled around to find… "Shigeru?" The brunette found the person she loved very dearly. Her face turned slightly pink. "W-what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your date?"

Shigeru cocked a brow. "Yeah, I should be. Why else do you think I'm here?" He smirked at Leaf's puzzled expression. "You don't really understand it, do you?" He took Leaf's hand and kissed it. "I want you to be my date for this Hanami Ball. Do you want me to be your date too?"

Leaf turned away, pouting. "You're joking, right?" She puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms. "I thought your date was one of your fans or something."

"Hey, I don't like to ask people I sincerely don't like to go out with to me to a ball like this," Shigeru protested. "And since I'm asking you right here and right now, don't you think that means something…?"

The brunette turned red at the hint. She held her breath as Shigeru leaned closer to her. "Sh-Sh-Shigeru, does that mean you… uh… l-like me…?"

Shigeru chuckled, playing with Leaf's braid. "What do you think, pesky girl? I _love_ you. I've always did ever since we started traveling." He smiled with full honesty and truth. "Now, will you return my feelings or will you reject them?"

"Y-y-you should know my answer…" Leaf murmured under her breath. But after some minutes of insisting, she couldn't take the pressure. "Yes! I really… l-l-love you, Shigeru…"

He kneeled in front of her, taking her hand. "Leaf, will you be kind enough to dance with me in this Hanami Ball?"

Leaf blushed, but she couldn't hold back that bubbly smile of hers. "Geez, the ball didn't even start yet and you're asking me already?" She giggled when Shigeru rolled his eyes. "Of course I'll dance with you, silly." She then remembered Hikari, who seemed worried about her dilemma. "Oh, Hikari…" She stood up and stared at the blunette with concerned eyes.

"She truly loves Shinji, I know," Shigeru sighed. "I figured that out just now." He looked at the line of girls that seemed excited and glaring at each other at the same time. "Tch, all those girls… They know absolutely nothing… All they probably want is what they think is the 'royal treatment'."

"I wonder who Shinji will choose, though…" Leaf muttered. "I might be heartbroken with Hikari if he doesn't choose her…"

Shigeru cocked a brow and cracked a smirk. "Oh… I think I just found something out." He kissed Leaf's hand again. "I promise I'll be back before the ball starts. I need to talk to Shinji."

Leaf puffed out her cheeks. "That better not be an excuse to go see another girl…" He gave her a kiss on the lips to assure that he wasn't going to. "… I take that back…" He smirked and left.

Hikari smiled at Leaf. "Congratulations, Leaf. I bet you're really happy right now." She looked at the line of girls that was now moved the walls of the ballroom. It wasn't because they were taking up too much space. They were just getting very annoying with their bickering and arguments. "I can't stand there doing nothing, at least."

She looked at the huge clock hung above the door. It was now about half an hour until the ball. Hikari took another deep breath and calmed her heart down. _Alright, Hikari… Don't be nervous now. If you're not chosen, make sure to tell everyone that you had fun. If… you are chosen,_ she stopped at that thought. _No, no… I shouldn't think about that yet._

All she wanted and had to do was to wait. She stepped out of the ballroom and into the garden to get some fresh air.

~.~.~

In a few minutes, Reiji and Shinji entered the ballroom. The girls squealed at the sight of their two princes – especially Shinji.

"Kyaa, it's Prince Shinji and Prince Reiji!" they exclaimed. Their eyes became hearts, looking at only Shinji now. Oh, how uncomfortable he must've felt under such stares.

When it was a minute before the ball, Reiji stood up. The ballroom was big… very big enough to fit all the people that came. "Everyone, thank you for coming to our Hanami Ball. Tonight will be much different than our other Hanami Balls. Tonight… my little brother, Murasaki Shinji, will be proposing to a girl for engagement. As for me, Murasaki Reiji, I will be proposing to a special someone for marriage."

The audience clapped excitedly.

"Once I am done with introductions, I will dance with those girls for five minutes. That's all the time they have for me to know them better," Shinji announced. _Fortunately for me,_ he smugly thought.

"Now then, let the Hanami Ball begin!" Reiji announced. Soft and gentle music began to play. The line of girls approached to the thrones, where Reiji and Shinji sat. Shinji took a deep breath and stepped up to the front.

The first girl gave him a curtsy and smiled. "My name is Nakamura Shiro." She swiftly stepped down to let the next girl introduce herself.

As the girls continued to introduce themselves, Hikari gulped. It was going to be her turn soon. She was afraid… afraid that she'll make a fool of herself in front of Shinji. But it was too late for her to withdraw herself. She was the last in the line and she knew if she withdrew from the line, Shinji will find something suspicious.

"I'm Yamada Kimiko." The line was halfway gone.

The shorter the line got, the more nervous she felt. Just add one more beat to her heartbeat with each girl. Hikari tightly gripped her dress. She could've been having a heart attack if it wasn't for a reassuring pat on the back. She looked back to see no one. But when she looked ahead, she saw Sumomo. "Sumomo… San…?"

The pink-haired girl turned to give her a grin and a thumbs-up. She wore a pretty pink dress that slightly showed off one of her bare shoulders. _"Don't worry!"_ she mouthed.

Hikari released her dress, calming her heart and mind. _No need to worry, right?_ When there were only five girls left, her heartbeat began to beat rapidly once more… but not as fast as last time. She saw Shinji's eyes – they looked so dull. His eyes didn't look as sharp as usual. "I wonder what's wrong…" she whispered to herself.

Shinji really did hate tonight. He didn't want to be talking to, literally, fifty-three girls in one night. It pained him to see so many stares that begged him to propose to them. He absolutely despised those eyes. Why couldn't he have just walked up to the girl he loved and proposed anyways? He was relieved that the line was slowly decreasing.

Four girls…

Three girls…

Two girls…

One more girl…

Shinji just treated the last girl like the others… at first. But when he saw long blue locks, his eyes widened. In front of him was…

"Good evening, Master Shinji," Hikari greeted and curtsied. Reiji looked slightly startled, but he smiled like he couldn't help it.

It was as if time slowed. He gazed at Hikari with a slightly surprised expression.

Hikari's hair was tied into a low ponytail with a sky blue ribbon beautifully tied around one side of her hair. A pink cherry blossom barrette was pinned to the other side of her head.

Her dress was a silky light blue. It only had one strap for the shoulder with a large ribbon covering her chest. The dress fit her curves perfectly and it gradually spread out to her knees. She wore white forearm gloves that shined in the light. Small ruffles decorated the bottom hem of the dress, and a white sash was tied on the waist.

"My name is Aikawa Hikari. I'm very happy to be here today." She looked up at Shinji, smiling at what she saw. He definitely looked surprised. His eyes were also back to its usual condition. Without another word, she swiftly left the stage.

Shinji was speechless. Hikari was in the line of girls that wanted to get engaged to him. Did that mean…? He rapidly wheeled around, his back facing the dance floor.

Reiji saw his little brother's face. It was completely red! He felt a chuckle almost escape his lips. Now he knew a secret about his little brother that Shinji probably realized just now. He stood up and walked towards Shinji. "I think that's about it. Why don't you sit down for a while? Your face looks like you ate something really spicy."

"S-shut up…" Shinji stuttered out. Reiji was surprised; he heard his little brother _stutter_? Oh, this was gonna be good. "I don't need to sit down. I need to get this over with." He cleared his throat and stepped down the stairs. His thoughts were so scrambled up that he felt blank. He approached one of the girls, which introduced themselves to him, and extended out a hand.

The girl looked like she was going to die from joy. She took his hand and started dancing with him. "5 minutes, right? Well, my family is _very_ wealthy…" And so began the girl's five minutes.

Hikari watched Shinji dance with another girl from afar. She remembered Shinji's expression when their eyes met. Suddenly, her vision started spinning and her body temperature shot up through the roof!

_Ahhhh! What did I just do?_ She was screaming in her head. _Oh my gosh, now he knows my true feelings! Oh, this is so embarrassing!_ Hikari hid behind a pillar, putting her hand over her heart. _Calm down… calm down… Nothing good will come from panicking like this!_

"Hikari!" someone called out. Hikari looked up to see her best friends running up to her. "Guys…!" They got into a group hug. "I… I did it, didn't I? Was I okay?"

"Okay?" Haruka questioningly repeated. "You were perfect!"

Nozomi attempted to suppress her laughter, but failed. "Dude, you should've seen Shinji's face when you went up. He was like…" She tried to make the same expression he made earlier. The girls laughed together.

"I agree that that was the funniest expression," Leaf happily declared. "Who else agrees with me?" Everyone, even Hikari, raised their hands. They all peered out from the pillar, trying to find Shinji.

"Huh, he's dancing with another girl now. Ugh, he should get to you already…" Haruka murmured. "Listen, Hikari. If he doesn't choose you, I'll make sure to give him a good smack in the head and a good, long lecture."

Hikari gently rubbed her head. "Um… Guys, I have to… tell you something…" She prepared for their reactions. "I decided that if Shinji doesn't choose me, I'll return back home."

It took a while for the information to process in their heads. When it did, their jaws hung open. _"WHAT?"_ they screeched quietly through their teeth. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

"B-because I knew you guys were gonna react like this!" Hikari whined. "Come on, if he's gonna get engaged to another girl, it's so obvious that people are gonna get the wrong idea if I continue to be his maid! His maid should be older than him, obviously, don't you think?"

…

She did have a point. But they didn't want to listen to it. All they wanted was to make her happy.

"It doesn't matter right now, Hikari," Kasumi replied. "You don't know the result yet, so don't be acting depressed now, okay?"

Hikari nodded. She gently slapped her face to get the depression out. "Alright, I'm good! Thanks, guys." She went with them to dance. Although she didn't have a guy to dance with, there were always her friends to dance with.

Haruka made sure to remind her of the steps of the dance. "One, two, one, two, one two…" She twirled Hikari around. "That's it, that's it! You're getting good at this!" She released her hand to let someone else dance with her. "Hey, Shuu… Can you dance with her and say some words to her? I told you about our situation, right?"

Shuu smirked and rubbed Haruka's head. "Alright, but don't get jealous." He slid to where Hikari was and bowed. "You're Haruka's friend, Aikawa Hikari, right?"

The blunette nodded, slightly surprised at who she was dancing with: Prince Shuu of Houen! "P-prince S-Shuu? W-what are you doing dancing with me? You should be dancing with Haruka!"

"Ah, yes, I should be," Shuu replied. "However, my fiancée wanted me to dance with you." He chuckled when he said that Haruka was his fiancée. "That's right. I proposed to Haruka."

"Wow, she must've been very happy!" she squealed.

"She was so happy that she cried. Hmmm… It actually felt a little nerve-wrecking," he thoughtfully added, "and joyful." He glanced at Haruka, who was dancing with Satoshi. He felt a slight pang of jealousy strike him, but he brushed it off. "But the fun part is that knowing they're gonna accept it and they do."

Hikari imagined the scene where he proposed to Haruka. "Aw, I can almost see it!" She then noticed the music slowly fading. "Oh, the song's about to be over. I'm much honored to dance with the Prince of Houen."

Shuu slightly leaned towards her. "Don't be nervous, okay?" he whispered into her ear. When the song ended, they both bowed and went to another person to dance with.

The last person she danced with was Shigeru. "Uh… Hello, Prince Shigeru." She glanced at Leaf, who was dancing with Kengo. "Err… I-I really didn't mean to peek… but I saw you and Leaf together earlier…"

Shigeru smirked at Hikari's sudden nervousness. "Relax, I'm okay with it." He continued to dance with the blunette. "Hey, don't be mad at anyone or anything, but I figured out your situation with Shinji. Is it love sickness, by any chance?"

Hikari slightly puffed her cheeks. "It's not love sickness, Prince Shigeru. I just really l-l-love Shinji…"

He gave her a small pat on the head. "You're more different than those other girls, you know?" He took a look around, searching for Shinji. Then he found Shinji dancing with another girl. "Yep, you're much more different than I thought. You truly love Shinji, don't you?"

"Y-yes…"

Shigeru glanced at Shinji again. "That idiot… He should've noticed your feelings when you went up there. If he didn't, I swear I'm going to hit that guy…" He looked at Hikari, who giggled at his threat. "Listen. When I mean by you're different than those girls, I mean it. They don't know anything about Shinji and probably just want the riches and the 'royal treatment'."

Hikari followed Shigeru's eyes to the girl Shinji was dancing with. "Well, not all girls are like that, Prince Shigeru. Some might truly love him for who he is, not for his royalty or wealth."

"See, this is why I think he should deserve you." Shigeru slightly scowled at Shinji. "You love him who he is, not for all that." They both bowed to each other when they were done dancing.

"Hmmm… I feel a little thirsty…" she muttered under her breath.

"Would you like a glass of water, Hikari?"

She turned around to see none other than Takeshi. "Shouldn't you be dancing with others, Takeshi-San?"

Takeshi chuckled, handing her a glass of water from his tray of glasses. "I'm not too much of a dancer, anyways. Besides, who else is going to hand out the refreshments?"

Hikari sipped her water. "Dance once at least, please. You can't be missing out on a huge ball like this, right?" She shrugged with a smile.

"I'll take your advice for it, but not right now." Takeshi then left to give others refreshments. "Good luck, by the way!"

She accidentally spit out some her water from his encouragement. _Oh geez, everyone knows now!_ She mentally smacked herself. "Damn it…"

"It's not good to curse like that." Someone tapped on her shoulder, making her jump from surprise. "Calm down, it's just me."

Hikari's eyes widened at the familiarity of the voice. Her lip quivered as she slowly turned her head to find the prince she loved. "M-master… Shinji…?" That earned her a gentle flick on her forehead. "Ow, what was that for…?"

"I don't think you should call me that during the ball," Shinji whispered. He turned his head to the orchestra and gestured something to them. The orchestra signaled each other and nodded at Shinji.

"Are you done dancing with the other girls already?"

Shinji shook his head. "Not really. I'm just taking a break." He took a sip of water from his glass of water. "I counted all the girls I've met today. There are 58 girls and I've danced with about two-third of them already."

Hikari drank the rest of her water and sighed. "Is that so? Did you find anyone that you find interesting?" By the way Shinji's brow twitched irritatingly, she guessed his answer already. "Why, were they all strange or something?"

"No, all they talked about was their looks and how wealthy they are," Shinji muttered. "_None_ of them were interesting so far." He groaned as he saw one of the girls wave at him. "By the way, is it okay if I can dance with you for last?"

"H-huh? O-oh, of course! Do what you think is best! You don't have to ask me that, you know."

The prince quickly flashed a smile before returning to his dance. He danced with his thirty-ninth potential (or definitely not potential) fiancée. "Thanks for coming to the Hanami Ball. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" His eye twitched when the girl said that her family was, also, _"very"_ wealthy. _… Why don't you stop telling me about how much money, power, and looks you have…?_

~.~.~

"Ah, it feels good to rest once in a while!" Hikari stretched while sitting on a bench in the garden. "I wonder how long it's been since the ball started." She enjoyed the cool breeze of night. When she looked ahead from the balcony, she saw lights, cherry blossoms, and so many stars. "So beautiful…"

She then remembered when she first met Shinji.

Hikari traveled to Tobari City as a boy named Hikaru. She met Shinji as a boy named Shiro, at first.

After their meeting, she became Shinji's maid.

Becoming his maid let her meet new friends like Kasumi, Haruka, and Leaf. Also, she was reunited with her best friend, Nozomi.

She even started taking dance lessons with Shinji to prepare for this very ball.

"A lot sure has happened ever since I came here," she sighed happily. "If I never became his maid, I wouldn't even be here like this…" Hikari stared at the twinkling stars in the sky. "I wonder how many girls he's danced with so far…"

Meanwhile, Shinji was done dancing with his fifty-sixth candidate. He let out a deep breath, relieved that there were only two more girls left. And one of those girls were…

He suppressed the blush that threatened to overtake his face. Shinji managed to rid of it before approaching the next girl. "You're… Princess Salvia, the princess of Katakuri Town? I hear you're really from royalty."

The said princess smiled kindly. "Um, yes, I am, but I really don't like talking about it." They danced to the music of the orchestra. "You know, I saw someone very interesting in that line."

"Is that so?"

Salvia nodded. "That girl named Hikari-San and I looked exactly alike!" She giggled at how similar that girl looked like her. "I don't think I saw you dance with her yet. Is she last?"

"Yes, she's the last to dance with." Shinji then looked at Salvia. She really did look similar to Hikari. Same blue hair, blue eyes, height… everything! But even if Salvia did look the same, he probably knew deep inside that there was something different: their personalities. "Will you tell me about yourself?"

"Actually, Prince Shinji, I didn't really want to get engaged with you." Salvia gave a slightly nervous smile. "You see, my servants and parents kept pressuring me to go to the Hanami Ball and try to get engaged with you." She shook her head. "But I never had the intention of doing so, but I wanted to let them be happy."

Shinji smirked. "You should at least do what makes _you_ happy."

Salvia sighed at his remark. "Yes, I know I should." She scrutinized Shinji's face before saying, "So about that beautiful young girl, Hikari…" She saw a blush creeping up to his cheeks. "Oh? You've taken a fancy to her?" She giggled at the prince's shocked face. "Oh my, that is very wonderful! You must know her very well."

"Actually, I do…" Shinji muttered, "She's my maid."

"Your maid?" she whispered. "Well, I'm not surprised. You should marry someone that you've known and been with for a long time, right?" Salvia looked behind her where the open ballroom door was. "I'm sure she's worrying about who you're going to engage with, really. She's been out in your garden for quite a while."

"She was?"

"Prince Shinji, I must say these words to you so you can truly think about if or who you want to marry," Salvia said. "I will say your words back to you. You should also do what makes you happy."

Shinji raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Do you truly want to engage with someone? Please answer me that at least."

He thought about for a few seconds. "I wasn't sure at first, but I think I wanted to."

Salvia nodded in comprehension. "Then, it is safe for me to point this out to you." She looked up at him with kind and warm eyes, the same eyes that Hikari also had. "Wealth and appearance isn't what's important. It's that person's true intentions, personality, and heart that matter the most."

"Isn't that a pretty common saying…?" Shinji mumbled.

"That's true, but you should know that there's deeper meaning behind it," Salvia explained. "They say that you can only see a person's true self if you've been with them, interacted with them, and known them the longest." She tilted her head.

Shinji realized that Hikari matched all those requirements. "I… think I get what you're saying now."

"That's great, Prince Shinji," Salvia complimented. "All I'm saying is that you should do what you think and believe is right." Time for them was up and they bowed to each other. "Well, I wish the best of luck to you and Hikari-San." With that, she went to go dance with someone else.

"Hn, Princess Salvia's right…" Shinji slightly smirked, staying still in the center of the dancers. "I wonder where Hikari could be."

As if on cue, someone tapped on his shoulder. "I'm right here, Prince Shinji." He turned around to see Hikari right behind him. "You said you wanted to dance with me for last, didn't you?"

Shinji didn't extend his hand out to let her take it. Instead, he immediately took her hand and gently pulled her to him. "I told you not to call me Prince Shinji, right?" he whispered in her ear. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. With that, the music gently faded and played a song that was very familiar to the two.

Hikari blushed, her eyes widening. "This is… the song we practiced to, wasn't it?" She looked at up Shinji, whose midnight-black eyes bore into hers. "But why this…?"

"I thought you'd like this song the best. Am I right?"

She puffed her cheeks, looking another way. "F-fine, I admit that I like this song." She sighed, refusing to look at his eyes. Then, Hikari asked, "Weren't you shocked to see me in that line?"

"Hmmm… I was more surprised than shocked, really," Shinji replied.

"Oh, really?" Hikari giggled.

Shinji leaned to her ear again. "So, uh, do you really…"

Hikari turned completely red. "Yes, Sh-Shinji, I love you. I… um… uh… also want to be e-e-engaged to you. I've been trying to hold my feelings back until today, you know…" She finally looked at Shinji, meeting his eyes. Despite her blush, she decided to continue. "A-anyways, let me tell you about me."

"You don't need to," Shinji chuckled, "I already know so much about you." He pulled Hikari closer to him. "You still haven't got over your 'fear' of dancing so close with me; you're 13 years old; your mother runs a café in your hometown, Futaba Town; you're a very wonderful cook; you also enjoy making clothes; you are always yourself around me…"

"You… noticed _that_ much of me?" She turned redder than before. "Uwaa… I'm so embarrassed!" She tried to hide her red face. "B-but you didn't really know that I loved you."

He smirked and shrugged. "Well, I may have not noticed, but you didn't notice anything either."

"Huh?"

Shinji closed his eyes. "I… gradually started falling in love with you too. I don't know what about you made me fall in love with you." He suppressed his laughter. "But I think I'm glad that I did." He gently caressed Hikari's cheeks. "I love you, Hikari. I truly love you."

Her eyes widened so much that her blue orbs were entirely seen. "Y-you do…?"

"Yes." His forehead touched hers. "You're different than all those girls I've danced with. You never talked about how good you look or about your money to me." He stared at Hikari. "Sure you do care about your looks a lot, but it's not like you're boasting them to me."

Hikari felt tears threatening to surface. She tried her best to hold them down, but in the end, she started crying. "Shinji… I truly love you."

Shinji wiped her tears away. "I think you had enough to cry about, don't you think?" He quietly laughed at her. "Come on, if you keep crying, your eyes and face will swell."

"You're so mean," Hikari laughed along with him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Shinji slightly lifted her face to him. "You look beautiful today." He inched closer to her face, their lips almost touching. Hikari felt his warm breath envelope her lips. She slowly closed the distance of their lips. They kissed.

They felt each other smile.

_The first knot that was tied at their first meeting was now a beautiful ribbon of royalty._

~.~.~

Reiji tapped on his glass, a soft clinking sound echoing throughout the ballroom. The audience looked at Reiji and Shinji.

"Once again, I thank you all for coming here tonight. It's half an hour before midnight and it seems that my little brother has chosen his fiancée." The audience applauded while the girls gasped and started squealing. "Shinji, the stage is all yours." Reiji stepped away from Shinji.

Shinji faced the audience and looked for Hikari. "The girl that I wish to engage with is in this very ballroom. I hope that her mother is here to give me her consent to engage to the person I love."

Kasumi held her hands together on her heart. She smiled joyfully. Haruka, Leaf, and Nozomi were all the same. _Here it comes…_

"May I please speak to Aikawa Hikari and, if present, Aikawa Ayako-San?" Murmurs went around as he saw the audience form a pathway from Hikari to him. Beside her was her mother, who was dressed in a creamy green dress. The two went up to Shinji and bowed. "Aikawa Ayako-San, will you give me your approval to become your daughter's fiancé and your daughter my fiancée?"

Ayako walked up to Shinji, who was already kneeling. "Prince Shinji, please stand up." He immediately stood up and received the most unexpected gesture ever. Hikari's mother embraced him as soon as he was up on his feet. "Don't you think I'll give you my consent without saying? You've taken care of my daughter for such a long time!"

Hikari was on the verge of crying from joy. "Mama…"

Her mother released Shinji, smiling at him. "Promise me that you'll always love and take care of my daughter."

"I will, ma'am," Shinji replied. He smiled at her and bowed. Ayako stepped away from the two. Of course, she gave Hikari a little pat on the head. Shinji kneeled on one knee and took out the purple velvet box. He opened it up to Hikari. "Aikawa Hikari, will you be my fiancée?"

A happy tear escaped her eye. "Yes!"

Shinji took out the ring and slipped it on her ring finger. He raised her hand up to him and kissed it. "Aikawa Hikari is my fiancée from here on." He then showed Hikari the most happiest of smiles. It nearly made her fall head over heels… again.

She started crying again. "I'm too happy right now…" she hiccupped. Shinji chuckled and took her aside.

The other female candidates cried out in anguish. But in the end, they applauded for their happiness.

Reiji then stepped up, for it was now his turn. "As for me, Murasaki Reiji, will be asking someone's hand in marriage." Everyone cheered for him. "The person I wish to ask for their hand in marriage is… the head of the Tobari Acrobatics and Magic, Sasaki Sumomo!"

Hikari, who just happened to be next to her, patted Sumomo on the shoulder. "It looks like we're both happy people, huh?"

It took a while to process the events in Sumomo's head. "Wait, what?" she exclaimed. "W-w-wait…!" But it was too late for her to turn back. Hikari and Shinji already pushed her in front of Reiji. "U-uh… So you're saying that… you want to marry _me_?" Reiji laughed with a nod. "B-but, how did you find out my feelings?"

"What do you mean?" Reiji asked. "I loved you too, you know." He wanted to laugh again when he saw the humorous defeat in Sumomo's eyes. "Ah, so you loved me too, huh?"

Sumomo stuttered, "I-I… W-w-what just happened…?"

Chuckles escaped from his lips. "Alright, let's make this quick so you won't faint on me." He got on one knee and pulled out his lilac-colored velvet box. He opened it to reveal the marriage ring. "Sasaki Sumomo, will you marry me?"

Hikari giggled through her tears (yes, she still couldn't stop her tears). "Cue the happiness in three… two… one…" She pointed at Sumomo who looked as happy as a child getting her huge lollipop.

Sumomo laughed in excitement and jumped on Reiji. "Yes! Yes!" Reiji slipped the ring on her ring finger and kissed her hand. She gazed at it with joy and excitement. "This isn't a dream though, right?" She pulled her cheek really hard. "Ow! Yeah, it's not a dream!" The audience laughed at her attempt to be humorous.

"Our marriage ceremony will be held next Sunday. Is that alright with you?"

"I'm more than alright with that!" Sumomo laughed. "I'm just so… happy!" When tears were about to surface, she ran to Hikari to cry with her.

Reiji and Shinji looked at them with a smile like they couldn't help it.

"Congratulations, Hikari and Sumomo!" Haruka shouted. "We're really happy for ya!"

With that, the audience cheered for the two girls who were crying with joy.

~.~.~

_**Next Sunday…**_

It was finally Reiji and Sumomo's wedding day! Practically everyone in Shinou came to attend the wedding. This was a huge thing, after all. Prince Reiji was going to get married and was going to become a king. Sumomo was going to become the queen.

Everything was well-prepared. The wedding ceremony was held in a large garden in Tobari City, where everything was decorated with white. Hikari and Shinji weren't in the seats. Their friends were in the front seats, smiling like crazy.

A priest was waiting for them at the platform, seemingly joyful to see his prince be married and become king. Reiji stood in front of the priest, looking a little nervous. "Master Reiji, do not be nervous. You should be happy, for this will be your most memorable day in your life!"

"Thank you. I appreciate your words. I think I'm somewhat more relaxed now." Shinji stood behind Reiji, smugly rolling his eyes.

The orchestra started playing soft and gentle music, signaling the entrance of the bride. A choir began to sing along with the music. Soft rustling was heard behind the seats. People turned to see the pink-haired woman wearing an elegant white dress. She held a bouquet of roses of different colors, obviously given to by the Prince of Houen, Shuu.

Hikari was behind the bride, also wearing a very beautiful white dress. She held the back of Sumomo's dress to prevent her from falling. "You look so pretty, Sumomo-San!" she whispered to her.

"Thank you, Hikari." Sumomo giggled as she saw Hikari's sparkly eyes. "I just know you'll be just like this on your wedding day with Shinji."

A blush was coating the blunette's cheeks, threatening to color her whole face. "O-oh, please…! Don't embarrass me like that…"

Sumomo playfully stuck out her tongue. "Well, you know it's coming, right?" They stepped up to the platform, where Sumomo and Reiji faced each other. "You're looking very handsome today, Reiji-Kun," she whispered.

"And you look just like an elegant angel from heaven," Reiji whispered back.

The priest cleared his throat and started the ceremony. Shinji and Hikari smiled at the people in front of them, truly happy for the couple.

"Do you, Prince Murasaki Reiji, promise to be with Sasaki Sumomo for all eternity?"

Reiji held Sumomo's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I do."

"And do you, Sasaki Sumomo, promise to be with Murasaki Reiji for all eternity?"

Sumomo smiled, nodding. "I do."

Reiji took out the ring he made for Sumomo. "With this ring, I thee wed. In name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Sumomo also took out a ring that was the exact ring as hers. "This ring I give you… in token and pledge… of my constant faithfulness and abiding love."

The priest gave the two a soft smile. "And now it is my happy privilege to congratulate and introduce to you as Mr. and Mrs. Murasaki Sumomo.

Everyone in the ceremony cheered as the married couple kissed each other.

Soon, it was time for the bride to throw the bouquet. She turned around as a _HUGE_ crowd of girls gathered a few feet behind her. "Ready… Set… Go!" She threw the bouquet high in the air and the girls scattered wildly for it.

However, it landed in the hands of the most likely person to catch it. That person was Hikari. She blushed when she glanced at Shinji, who simply smirked at her. "I… I got it!" The girls clapped for Hikari.

The reception party occurred afterwards. It was quite the lively party, really.

~.~.~

_**The next few days…**_

"Shinji! Hikari-Kun! We're leaving now!" Reiji called out.

Hikari ran over to Reiji and Sumomo, who had their bags packed. "I hope you have fun on your honeymoon!" She laughed when the newlywed couple blushed.

"Just try not to touch each other too much," Shinji chuckled. He received an embarrassed death glare from Sumomo while Reiji sweatdropped. "I'm joking… Touch each other as _much_ as you want."

"SHINJI!" Sumomo shrieked. "You are SO perverted!"

Hikari widened her eyes at Shinji. "Whoa… What got into you, dude?"

Shinji snorted in laughter. "I don't know… The fact that Aniki and Sumomo could have a baby soon just makes me want to tease them a little."

Reiji raised a brow. "You're being out-of-character today. What happened?"

"Nothing much. I'm just happy for you two."

After a few minutes, Reiji and Sumomo left to go on their honeymoon. Shinji and Hikari waved them good-bye.

"Well, we have the palace to us and the others. Maybe we should have a small party!" Hikari suggested. "Oh, please, Shinji? Please, please, please, please, please!"

Shinji sighed, shoving one of his hands in his pockets. "Geez, I can't fight that puppy look of yours at all… Fine, I'll go ask the others." He smirked when Hikari grabbed his arm in joy.

_**Fin.**_

_**Happy **__**Belated**__** IkariShipping Day!**_

~.~.~

_A/N: It's not the end JUST YET. I'll have an epilogue released soon. :3_


	11. Epilogue

_A/N: Hi, everyone! I thank you so much for reading Ribbon of Royalty until the end! Please enjoy the epilogue! (No, there is no lemon in this epilogue. I can't even write them. xDD) [Sadly, there is no sequel to Ribbon of Royalty… Sorry! Q^Q]_

**Ribbon of Royalty****  
Epilogue**

Years have passed and Tobari Palace spent those years in peace and harmony.

At least… that's what the citizens thought.

In truth, not _all_ was well. The Crown Prince Shinji and Princess Hikari had their ups and downs (occasionally), but their relationship was still promisingly intact. The current king, Reiji, and queen, Sumomo, lived a happy life for sure.

Plus, Shinji became an uncle! Yes, Reiji and Sumomo had a baby… a baby boy! They decided to name him Mamoru, one who protects. He was only four years old, bright and energetic. He had light red violet hair with onyx eyes.

Hikari had noticed many things since her stay in Tobari Palace. Some were strange, some were understandable, and some were… unexpected.

"Shinji, I made you breakfast!" Hikari chimed. She entered their bedroom, holding a tray of food. "And I also made your favorite, fresh orange juice!"

Her husband, Shinji, was still asleep on their bed.

"Geez… I thought I woke you up already…" Hikari set the tray of food on the drawers and opened the curtains. "Wake up, Shinji. Come on, your food's gonna get cold."

Hikari had changed over the years. Her figure became much more womanly and was very beautiful. Her previous shoulder-length blue locks had grown to the bottom of her waist. She often tied it up high. Her usual hyperactive personality also changed. She was calmer and more adult-like.

Shinji had many changes. He had more build in his muscles. Also, the scowl that was always on his face was replaced with either a small smile or a calm expression. He only scowled when someone kept embarrassing him. Ever since Reiji and Sumomo had Mamoru, Shinji became a little more playful. He liked Mamoru's company – especially when he was bored.

The blunette gently shook Shinji by the shoulder. "Shinji…!" She pouted at her husband, who didn't even budge. She jumped up and down in frustration. "Shinji! Wake up, wake up!"

He still didn't budge.

Hikari bent down to Shinji's ear. "Fine, I'll leave you alone." She smiled and proceeded to walk away when she felt a hand grab her wrist. "See, you weren't asleep after all."

"No, I'm still half asleep…" Shinji drawled.

"I know, I know," Hikari giggled. She tousled Shinji's head. "Hurry up and wake up, _Master_ Shinji. Little Prince Mamoru wants to eat breakfast with you."

As if on cue, Mamoru ran in the room. "I'm not a little prince!" he exclaimed. "I'm a really cool robot that wants to save Prince Shinji from the Sleep World!" He jumped on the bed and grabbed Shinji's shoulders. "Wake up, Uncle Shinji!" He shook Shinji as hard as he could – but to Shinji, it was as gentle as Hikari's shaking.

"Alright, alright… I'm waking up…" he groaned. Shinji sat up from his pillow and yawned. "Did you sleep well, Mamoru?"

Mamoru nodded with a bright smile. "Uh-huh! But I don't think you did… You look so grumpy."

Shinji blinked with sleepy eyes. "Maybe I'm grumpy because Aunt Hikari didn't give me a good-morning kiss…"

"Haha!" Mamoru teased, "Aunt Hikari gave me a good-morning kiss earlier than you!"

Hikari cocked a brow and pursed her lips. "Oh, please… I woke Uncle Shinji earlier than you and gave him a good-morning kiss already." She placed her hands on her hips and stared at Shinji. "Maybe he was too sleepy to even notice it."

"…" Shinji was silent. "Hn."

Mamoru snorted in laughter. "Uncle… you are so funny!" Shinji stretched the boy's cheeks. "Sorry! Sorry, sorry!" he laughed.

Shinji smirked at his nephew. "Don't be teasing me now. You don't know what I can do." He rubbed Mamoru's head. "So I heard you wanted to eat breakfast with me?"

"Mhm!"

Hikari giggled and placed a small table wide enough for Shinji and Mamoru. She placed covered bowls and their orange juices on the table. "Eat up, you two. I made today's breakfast extra special." She secretly took out a video camera from her back pocket.

Shinji took a sip of his orange juice as he opened the cover of his bowl. His eyes widened and he spit out the orange juice in his mouth. "What the…?"

Mamoru stared at Shinji with curious eyes and opened his cover too. In his bowl was his favorite dish, OmuRice* inside. But the ketchup on top wrote, "You're going to have a cousin!" He raised a brow and looked at Hikari. "Auntie, what do you mean I'm going to have a cousin?" Hikari smiled and pointed to her stomach. Then, Mamoru knew what she meant. "SERIOUSLY?"

"…" Shinji's jaw was hanging down. "Mamoru, will you pinch me… hard?"

The little boy pinched his uncle as hard as he could. "You okay, uncle?"

Yeah, the pinch really hurt. Shinji's brows shot up as he looked at Hikari. "You're… pregnant…?"

"Don't you faint on me, Shinji," Hikari giggled. "Yeah, I'm pregnant."

Shinji took a deep breath and ate his breakfast hurriedly. "Mamoru, you start eating too. Your aunt made it really special today."

"Duh!" Mamoru took a big bite of his OmuRice. "I can't believe I'm gonna have a cousin!"

~.~.~

After Shinji washed up, he found Hikari resting on their bed. Mamoru had gone back to his parents to relay the good news.

"How long has it been?" Shinji asked. He placed his hand on her stomach, feeling a _very _small lump.

"Just a few weeks," she replied. "I'm planning to go to the hospital next month to check on the baby." Hikari smiled as she rubbed her stomach. "I wonder what gender it is."

Shinji kissed Hikari on the cheek and smirked. "Doesn't this mean we're going to be parents?"

"Yeah!" Hikari whispered. "I know parenthood is gonna be difficult, but I think it'll be fun." Before she could even say any more, her best friends burst in through the door.

"Hikari!" Kasumi called.

"You're pregnant?" Haruka asked in disbelief.

"Mamoru was serious!" Nozomi exclaimed.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Leaf squealed.

The girls ran towards the blunette, who was startled by the sudden entrance. "… That was… fast."

Unfortunately, she did not notice that Shinji fell off the bed when the girls accidentally shoved him out of the way.

"… Is this how I'll be treated now…?" he muttered. He got up and dusted himself off. "Anyways, I'll be going. I'm pretty sure Mamoru told those guys too…" He left the room to the girls and prepared for… any humiliation _his_ friends were going to give him.

"So you're the third pair to have a child out of all of us, huh?" Shigeru smirked.

"First was Kasumi-San, then Haruka… now you?" Shuu questioned with a smug expression. "Well… It seems our children are going to be best friends."

Satoshi turned to Shigeru and Kengo. "So… Do you two plan to have any kids?"

Shigeru scratched his cheek. "Uh… Well, I don't really plan to have kids until Leaf is ready." He rolled his eyes when Shinji chuckled. "What about you, Kengo?"

"Uh…" Kengo stuttered, "W-we s-sorta… kinda… had it… last week."

The guys were looking at the brown-haired man with deadpan eyes. "Are you serious?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Kengo drawled. "Anyways, I'm gonna go home first. I might as well tell my hometown of the news. I'm sure Ayako-San knows, but… you don't know what could happen." He slightly neared Hikari and Shinji's bedroom. "Nozomi, I'm going to my hometown to tell them the news, okay?"

"Alright! Make sure nothing too bad happens!" Nozomi replied.

With that, Kengo left hurriedly.

"Do you know the gender yet?" Satoshi asked. "Mine's a girl and Shuu's is a boy."

"Hikari's planning to check on the baby next month," Shinji murmured.

Shuu slid an arm across Shinji's shoulders. "Well, well, well… I wonder how busy you two got _that night_."

Shinji's scowled at the green-haired prince. "Shut up. You should be saying that to yourself, not me." He smirked at Shuu. "I hear you have _twins_."

"… Touché."

Shigeru simply laughed at the two princes. "You two are hilarious…" He glanced at Satoshi. "Well, maybe not as ridiculous as him, but still…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Satoshi whined.

~.~.~

"So what gender do you think your baby is?"

Hikari tapped her chin. "I don't know, but I'm fine with whatever gender our child is." She gently rubbed her belly. "I wonder how being a parent will feel like…"

Haruka smiled. "Well, a newborn will always need attention from their parents." Kasumi, Hikari, and she exchanged glances. "I wonder if these three will get along well…"

Nozomi scratched her cheek. "Um… There just _might_ be four…" All the girls went wide-eyed at the red head. "Uh, yeah… Kengo and I… ya know…" The red head was then overwhelmed by squealing and questions. "Girls, I know it's a huge thing and all… but just because Kengo and I did it doesn't mean it's 100% guaranteed that I'm going to have a baby!"

Leaf laughed, "I think we should leave her alone. She doesn't seem to like these questions!"

"You told Shinji, right?" Kasumi asked. "I'm pretty sure you did."

"Of course!" Hikari giggled. "His reaction was _so_ funny!" She got the video camera on the desk and played the video. "It's like a must-see thing!" The video from about half an hour ago started playing.

Everyone started laughing when they saw Shinji spitting out his orange juice.

"I swear I'm watching a cartoon!" Leaf laughed. "Oh my god, that was hilarious!" She took a deep breath to control her laughter. "Ah, that was the most out-of-character action I've ever seen from that guy!"

"You should _totally_ show that to your mom," Haruka chuckled.

"Don't forget to show King Reiji, Queen Sumomo, and Shinji himself!" Kasumi reminded. "They'll just _die_ watching this – especially Shinji!"

"I'll die watching what?" A familiar voice sounded throughout the room. The girls turned around to see Sumomo by the door. "I heard some laughter on my way to Hikari's room…" Once they showed her the video, Sumomo burst into laughter. "What the heck is this? It's so funny!"

"I know, right?" Hikari giggled. "Ah, I'll _never_ forget that scene. It's, like, embedded in my mind." She closed her camcorder and placed it in her drawers. "So how did you girls get here so fast?"

Kasumi put her arm on Hikari's shoulder. "Well, let's just say we were coincidentally in Tobari City lately." They all had their stories and laughs to share until dusk.

~.~.~

After Hikari greeted them good-bye, she went to the kitchen to cook dinner. There, she found Takeshi, who just entered the kitchen to prepare dinner. "Oh, Takeshi-San, you don't need to prepare dinner tonight. I'll do it."

Takeshi looked at Hikari in slight surprise. "Oh? What got you into preparing dinner tonight?" He smiled at the blunette. "It's fine, Hikari. I heard the news that you were going to have a baby, so I decided to cook a special dinner."

"Geez… You know too? How many people did Mamoru tell?" Hikari sighed, chuckling.

"Well… Let's just say Tobari Acrobatics and Magic knows a lot of people."

Hikari's eyes widened. "Uh… They didn't tell the city or more, right…?"

"No, of course not!" Takeshi reassured. "They _know_ who to tell and who not to." He began to take out ingredients from cabinets and the refrigerator. "Anyways, like I said, I'll be cooking dinner. Hikari, you should just rest until it's ready. Tonight's dinner is my congratulations present for you."

The blunette slightly blushed and scratched her head. "U-um… Th-thank you so much, Takeshi-San." She bowed and exited the kitchen.

She walked back to her bedroom, finding Shinji reading a book on their bed. "Hi, Shinji."

Shinji looked up with a small smile. "Hey. How was your reunion with your friends?"

"I guess you can say it was really fun, considering how I haven't seen them for months. What about you?"

"Humiliation everywhere and to everyone," he mumbled. "It seems like I wasn't the only one who was going to get embarrassed, really." He put his book back and stretched. "So where were you just now?"

Hikari shrugged while smiling. "Oh, the kitchen. I wanted to cook a special dinner, but Takeshi-San wanted to cook my present." She put her hand on her stomach. "I think I'm going to be eating _a lot_ for a while."

"Try not to get fat," Shinji chuckled.

Hikari stuck her tongue out. "Geez, I thought I could let Takeshi-San be with his wife today, but no…" She lied down on the bed, resting her head on Shinji's lap. He played with a few strands on her hair. "You know, there have been a lot of changes ever since I got here…"

Shinji smirked. "Yeah, I know. You did all these changes to me, Hikari." He recalled the time when Hikari first became his maid. "Seriously, what about me made you start loving me?"

"Hey, don't make me start," Hikari warned. "I loved you to the point of crying at the thought of you ignoring me." She sat up and turned to Shinji. "But it turns out that you loved me back."

"Was that unexpected to you?" he asked.

"Eh… I have to admit, yes…" Hikari nervously laughed. "I mean, I was your maid back then after all."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I don't really think that mattered."

Hikari giggled, recalling Shinji's confession that time. "Hey, what about me? What made you love me back?"

"Do I have to say it? I had enough embarrassment today."

"_Please_?" Hikari cutely insisted. She batted her eyelashes, her eyes growing big. It was like the perfect puppy eyes. "I promise I won't bother you about it next time."

A blush crept to Shinji's cheeks. "Fine… You were always yourself around me and stuck close to me. I knew you the most, after all." He scratched his cheek, slightly sweatdropping at Hikari's beaming face. "Geez… Stop teasing me."

Hikari giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "But it's so fun!" She exhaled and made herself comfortable on the bed. "So many years have passed… and we're having a baby. You better take good care of me. Pregnancy can be a scary thing to take care of."

"If I can deal with you stomping and hitting me, I can deal with your pregnancy," Shinji replied. "Remember that time when you stomped on my foot?"

"… Shut up…"

Shinji chuckled and pulled her into an embrace. "Hey, those were fun times, right?"

"Yes, they were. But it's probably not as fun as the changes in you – especially _this_." She took out her camcorder and played the video from this morning.

"… You _recorded_ it?" Shinji muttered in disbelief. "Okay, give me the damn thing." He reached out to take it but Hikari managed to put it out of his reach. "Hikari, give me that camcorder!"

"Never!" Hikari playfully cried. "Mamoru! Help me get your uncle away from me!" She laughed and ran out of the room. "I need to show Reiji-San something!"

Shinji's eyes widened. "No! You are _not_ going to show Aniki!" He chased after her.

This is what they call a happy ending… probably.

~.~.~

_A/N: Oh my gosh, it's finally the end of Ribbon of Royalty! QAQ Well, I had fun writing this fanfic! ^^ Thank you to all the reviewers who took their time to review my story and supported it! ^o^ Now, here's a little shoutout to those reviewers! 8DD_

_**Thank you to…**_

_mednin  
AnimexLuver4Ever  
Paulover98  
Glow-In-The-Dark Stickers  
splitheart1120  
DaRkMiDnIgHtSnEaKyCaT  
Grim-Death-Kitty  
Sapphiet  
RosieShiba  
LuckyTigger  
FrivolousFlare  
Foxgrl18  
PerkyPearlyPanini  
xotennisloverxo  
SweetAngel92  
IgglybuffPichuandOrcha3000  
Anonymous  
Starfire1407  
KuraiDawn  
Geko Geko Girl  
lonewolfgirl-sademo588  
LovelyLily12  
Rissychan (from Serebii Forums)  
Ichi (My Twin Brother xDDD)_

_Did I skip anyone? I hope not! O^O If I did, I'll put you in! Thank you again for reading and supporting this fanfic! ^o^_


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